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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: key · pop · vault · bear · nail · fine · march · season

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pop — music
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fine — all right
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pop — soda
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bear — the animal
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. key — in music
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pop — to visit
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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