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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: vault · bay · degree · track · bass · stick · scale · key

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. key — the most important part
  6. scale — size or range
  7. degree — temperature
  8. vault — a safe
  9. track — a song
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bass — low music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. scale — in music
  15. degree — an amount
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bass — the fish
  21. key — in music
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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