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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 116 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
YesNo
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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: spell · clip · game · key · rock · vault · rash · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. spell — letters
  4. rash — hasty
  5. key — in music
  6. clip — for paper
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. key — the most important part
  10. spell — magic
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. clip — to cut
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. spell — a short time
  16. clip — a video
  17. vault — a safe
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rock — music
  21. game — a match
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rash — a series
  24. rock — a stone

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