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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 120 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: cabinet · vault · key · ground · pop · fall · track · present

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. fall — to drop
  3. present — there
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fall — to drop
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pop — to visit
  10. key — in music
  11. present — a gift
  12. key — for a lock
  13. vault — a safe
  14. fall — the season
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. ground — crushed
  18. key — the most important part
  19. track — a path
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ground — a position
  23. present — the time now
  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