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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 116 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. board — a committee
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cold — not warm
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. present — a gift
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. present — the time now
  14. court — of a king
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. court — of law
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. hand — in cards
  21. present — there
  22. court — for sport
  23. hand — help
  24. board — to get on

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