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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.

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
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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: lean · key · vault · scale · field · mine · chair · fine

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mine — for digging
  6. scale — size or range
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. vault — a safe
  9. field — a subject
  10. key — in music
  11. scale — in music
  12. chair — a leader
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lean — thin
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. field — for sport
  19. fine — high quality
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. lean — to bend
  22. field — farmland
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fine — all right

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