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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. key — the most important part
  3. scale — in music
  4. key — in music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. deal — to handle
  7. key — for a lock
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rock — music
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. rock — a stone
  17. shower — rain
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wound — an injury
  20. shower — to wash
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. field — for sport
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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