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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: mug · vault · fine · bass · fork · land · key · field

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. mug — a cup
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. land — a country
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. fine — high quality
  8. key — the most important part
  9. field — for sport
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bass — the fish
  12. land — to come down
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. field — a subject
  16. fine — all right
  17. land — ground
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. field — farmland
  20. bass — low music
  21. fork — in a road
  22. key — in music
  23. mug — a face
  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