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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pass — a permit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pop — to visit
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. key — for a lock
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. key — in music
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pass — to spend time

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