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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. key — the most important part
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. key — in music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. toast — bread
  12. branch — a division
  13. cue — a hint
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rock — music
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. cue — a signal
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. key — for a lock
  24. jam — a tight spot

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