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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. land — ground
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. land — to come down
  12. rash — a series
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chair — a leader
  15. key — for a lock
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. rash — hasty
  22. band — a ring
  23. land — a country
  24. key — in music

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