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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 116 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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. key — the most important part
  6. drill — a practice
  7. object — a thing
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bat — the animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. key — for a lock
  14. drill — the tool
  15. key — in music
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bear — the animal
  20. scale — in music
  21. drill — army training
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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