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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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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: key · vault · rock · mate · swing · calf · band · deal

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. band — a music group
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rock — a stone
  6. key — for a lock
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. vault — a safe
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. key — in music
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rock — music
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mate — a partner
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mate — to breed
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. band — a ring
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. calf — a young animal

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