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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: present · band · pitcher · key · vault · cue · lash · charge

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. key — for a lock
  4. charge — electricity
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. band — a ring
  8. vault — a safe
  9. present — the time now
  10. cue — a hint
  11. charge — a price
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cue — for pool
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. present — there
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. band — a music group
  23. charge — in control
  24. key — in music

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