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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pound — a weight
  4. key — in music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. key — for a lock
  7. track — a song
  8. rash — hasty
  9. track — a path
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mark — a grade
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rash — a series
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. vault — a safe

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