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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · lie · wind · key · pitch · track · foot · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wind — moving air
  5. track — a song
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. key — in music
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. foot — a measure
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wind — moving air
  24. track — a path

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com