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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 the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. ground — a position
  3. fine — all right
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fine — high quality
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. key — the most important part
  8. suit — in cards
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. perch — the fish
  11. suit — to fit
  12. key — in music
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. degree — temperature
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. ground — crushed
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. degree — an amount
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. suit — clothes
  23. degree — from a university
  24. ground — the earth

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