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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 · mark · bark · cap · ground · rock · bound · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rock — music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bound — certain
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ground — a position
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bound — tied together
  17. key — in music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. key — the most important part

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