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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. track — a path
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. row — a line
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. key — in music
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bear — the animal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. track — to keep track
  16. vault — a safe
  17. track — a song
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. squash — to crush

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