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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. key — in music
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. craft — boats
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mark — a grade
  14. key — the most important part
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mark — a trace
  18. craft — a skill
  19. prune — to trim
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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