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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: game · key · stand · ruler · suit · fork · wound · vault

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stand — to bear
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wound — an injury
  5. key — in music
  6. game — a match
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. suit — to fit
  9. key — the most important part
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fork — in a road
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. suit — clothes
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. key — for a lock
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ruler — for measuring

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