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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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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: vault · rock · key · bass · temple · fork · content · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rock — a stone
  8. content — happy
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. key — for a lock
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bass — low music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bass — the fish
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. wound — an injury
  19. key — in music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. key — the most important part
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. rock — music

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