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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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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: pound · toast · vault · racket · rest · key · ball · fan

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. toast — bread
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rest — what's left
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. rest — a break
  10. vault — a safe
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. ball — a dance
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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