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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. key — for a lock
  3. board — to get on
  4. rest — what's left
  5. key — in music
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. vault — a safe
  8. board — a committee
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cap — a hat
  13. swing — music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rest — a break
  19. swing — in golf
  20. game — a match
  21. rest — what's left
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cap — a lid
  24. game — wild animals

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