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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. present — a gift
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. present — there
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. capital — a city
  12. key — for a lock
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. capital — money
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pass — a permit
  19. present — the time now
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. key — in music
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mark — a trace

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