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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 120 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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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: current · rash · pitch · branch · arm · vault · chair · key

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rash — a series
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. key — the most important part
  5. current — of water
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. branch — a division
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. current — happening now
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. key — in music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pitch — completely
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. key — for a lock
  21. chair — a leader
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. current — electric
  24. pitch — a sports field

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