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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · saw · key · pitch · coach · rule · vault · game

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. vault — a safe
  8. game — wild animals
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. land — to come down
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pitch — completely
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — a match
  17. key — in music
  18. land — a country
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. land — ground
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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