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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: chip · rash · fork · season · key · hand · vault · present

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. key — in music
  3. rash — a series
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. chip — to eat
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. chip — for betting
  9. present — there
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. present — the time now
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. season — of the year
  15. fork — in a road
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rash — hasty
  18. key — the most important part
  19. season — in sport
  20. present — a gift
  21. hand — help
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. vault — a safe
  24. hand — in cards

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