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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cell — a phone
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cell — in biology
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. key — in music
  12. degree — an amount
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. season — in sport
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. track — a song
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. key — for a lock
  22. track — a path
  23. degree — temperature
  24. cell — in a prison

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