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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. key — in music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. key — the most important part
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. chip — to eat
  13. suit — to fit
  14. field — farmland
  15. rush — hurry
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mine — for digging
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. wake — before a funeral

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