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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: row · vault · key · band · fine · pitcher · roll · charge

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fine — high quality
  4. band — a ring
  5. key — in music
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fine — all right
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. row — a line
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. key — the most important part
  14. charge — a price
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. roll — a cake
  17. key — for a lock
  18. charge — electricity
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. charge — in control
  21. band — a music group
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. vault — a safe

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