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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · toast · mine · track · foot · key · present · vault

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. key — in music
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. mine — for digging
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. vault — a safe
  9. track — a path
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rash — a series
  12. foot — a measure
  13. track — to keep track
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. track — a song
  19. toast — bread
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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