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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. can — to be able to
  3. key — the most important part
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. net — after costs
  7. stock — shares
  8. perch — the fish
  9. club — for golf
  10. net — for catching
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. net — in sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. key — in music
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stock — goods
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. kid — to tease
  20. club — a group
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. can — a tin
  24. key — for a lock

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