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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. board — a committee
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. key — for a lock
  7. game — a match
  8. scale — in music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. scale — size or range
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. game — wild animals
  16. deal — to handle
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. key — in music
  20. board — to get on
  21. wake — a trail
  22. key — the most important part
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. stand — for spectators

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