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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chest — of your body
  3. ground — the earth
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. ball — a dance
  6. craft — boats
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. track — a song
  9. key — the most important part
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ground — a position
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. chest — a box
  14. ground — crushed
  15. vault — a safe
  16. track — a path
  17. key — for a lock
  18. ball — a great time
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. key — in music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. track — to keep track
  23. saw — the tool
  24. craft — a skill

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