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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. dip — to sink
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. file — a tool
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. key — the most important part
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. file — a line of people
  16. current — happening now
  17. chair — a leader
  18. season — of the year
  19. key — for a lock
  20. prune — to trim
  21. file — a document
  22. vault — a safe
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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