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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 · game · board · date · saw · track · spring · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  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. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. track — to keep track
  4. spring — of water
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. track — a path
  7. board — a committee
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. game — a match
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. spring — the season
  14. key — for a lock
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. track — a song
  17. board — to get on
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. vault — a safe
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. spring — a coil
  22. date — the fruit
  23. game — wild animals
  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