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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  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. scale — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rash — hasty
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rash — a series
  9. key — for a lock
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. scale — size or range
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mine — for digging
  20. key — in music
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. tube — the underground
  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