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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. kick — in football
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. spell — letters
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — in music
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. board — a committee
  13. net — for catching
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pit — in a race
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pit — a hole
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. net — after costs
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. key — the most important part
  23. board — to get on
  24. spell — magic

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