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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: vault · key · ball · toast · cap · plane · last · rock

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. last — final
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rock — a stone
  7. last — to go on
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. rock — music
  10. ball — a dance
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cap — a lid
  13. last — finally
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. plane — a tool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. key — in music
  23. toast — bread
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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