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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. field — farmland
  3. march — the month
  4. field — a subject
  5. deal — to handle
  6. key — the most important part
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. field — for sport
  10. ball — a dance
  11. club — for golf
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. march — music
  15. key — in music
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ball — a great time
  18. march — the month
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. vault — a safe

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