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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. vault — a safe
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. key — in music
  9. track — a path
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. track — to keep track
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. prune — to trim
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ground — the earth
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ground — a position
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. key — for a lock
  24. track — a song

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