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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: band · plane · key · bank · net · file · vault · pit

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. key — the most important part
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. file — a tool
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. key — in music
  7. net — after costs
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. net — in sport
  11. plane — a tool
  12. band — a ring
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bank — for money
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bank — for money
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. net — for catching
  20. band — a music group
  21. file — a document
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pit — in a race
  24. key — for a lock

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