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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mine — for digging
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. drill — the tool
  9. board — a committee
  10. vault — a safe
  11. fork — in a road
  12. key — in music
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. drill — a practice
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. key — the most important part
  18. board — to get on
  19. key — for a lock
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mine — belonging to me

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