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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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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: vault · bank · current · key · band · chip · bat · bowl

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bank — for money
  3. current — happening now
  4. band — a music group
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. key — in music
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. current — electric
  12. key — the most important part
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. current — of water
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. band — a ring
  24. bank — for money

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