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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. key — in music
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rash — a series
  8. court — for sport
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. key — for a lock
  11. scale — size or range
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pit — a hole
  14. snap — to click
  15. court — of a king
  16. key — the most important part
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. scale — in music
  20. pit — in a race
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. vault — a safe
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. court — of law

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