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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
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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: ground · branch · bear · date · court · vault · key · object

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ground — a position
  8. key — the most important part
  9. object — to protest
  10. branch — a division
  11. court — of a king
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. object — a thing
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. court — of law
  16. object — an aim
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ground — the earth
  21. key — in music
  22. ground — crushed
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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