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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. key — for a lock
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. season — in sport
  9. fall — the season
  10. key — in music
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ball — a dance
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. season — of the year
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bat — the animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. ball — a great time
  24. can — to be able to

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