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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. key — in music
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. vault — a safe
  7. key — for a lock
  8. clip — to cut
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. clip — a video
  14. key — the most important part
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. hide — to keep secret

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