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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. track — a song
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. court — for sport
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. track — a path
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wax — to grow
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. key — for a lock
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pit — a hole
  19. court — of a king
  20. pit — in a race
  21. track — to keep track
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. court — of law
  24. wax — in the ear

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