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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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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: bank · pitch · season · vault · key · nail · chair · stem

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. key — in music
  3. season — of the year
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stem — to come from
  9. key — the most important part
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bank — for money
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. season — in sport
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bank — of a river
  20. chair — a leader
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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