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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: swing · rush · field · foot · vault · spring · trunk · key

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. spring — of water
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. field — a subject
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. key — the most important part
  9. swing — music
  10. spring — a coil
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. field — farmland
  13. swing — in golf
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. key — in music
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. field — for sport
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. foot — a measure
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rush — hurry
  23. swing — to play on
  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