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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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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: chip · vault · mate · court · snap · bound · coach · key

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mate — a partner
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. key — for a lock
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bound — tied together
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bound — obliged
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. key — in music
  18. chip — to eat
  19. key — the most important part
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. court — of a king
  22. chip — for betting
  23. snap — to click
  24. bound — certain

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