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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. clip — for paper
  3. key — in music
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. clip — to cut
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cue — a signal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bear — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bear — the animal
  12. board — a committee
  13. clip — a video
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. board — to get on
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stock — shares

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