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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bass — the fish
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. land — a country
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. key — in music
  9. tube — the underground
  10. land — to come down
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. ball — a dance
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. key — for a lock
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. tube — a container
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bass — low music

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