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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mine — for digging
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. hand — in cards
  16. key — in music
  17. rock — music
  18. hand — help
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fine — all right
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pit — a hole

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