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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mine — for digging
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bulb — for light
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rest — what's left
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rest — what's left
  12. row — a line
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rest — a break
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pitch — completely
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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