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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: bat · vault · game · swing · key · bank · staff · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. staff — employees
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. vault — a safe
  5. game — a match
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bat — the animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. key — the most important part
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bank — for money
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. staff — a stick
  15. game — wild animals
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. swing — music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. key — in music
  21. bank — of a river
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bank — for money
  24. staff — employees

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