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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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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 · cell · prune · charge · key · suit · chip · straw

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. suit — in cards
  3. chip — for betting
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. charge — electricity
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. suit — to fit
  13. key — for a lock
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. prune — to trim
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. chip — to eat
  19. suit — clothes
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cell — in biology
  22. key — in music
  23. cell — a phone
  24. prune — to trim

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