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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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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. vault — a safe
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pop — music
  6. key — in music
  7. net — in sport
  8. tube — the underground
  9. net — for catching
  10. pop — soda
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. pop — to visit
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitch — completely
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. net — after costs
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. court — for sport
  22. tube — a container
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. key — the most important part

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