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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: pitcher · ball · rock · vault · key · row · spring · face

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. spring — the season
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rock — music
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. spring — of water
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. row — to paddle
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. spring — a coil
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rock — a stone
  18. key — in music
  19. ball — a great time
  20. row — a line
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. face — to confront
  23. ball — a dance
  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