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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: plane · ground · vault · mouse · key · chair · patient · kick

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. key — in music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chair — a leader
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. plane — a tool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ground — crushed
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. key — the most important part
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. kick — in football
  23. ground — a position
  24. vault — a safe

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