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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. game — wild animals
  4. suit — in cards
  5. mug — a cup
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rock — music
  8. mug — a face
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fall — to drop
  12. key — in music
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fall — the season
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. game — a match
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rock — a stone
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. fall — to drop
  23. suit — clothes
  24. chair — a leader

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