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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. vault — a safe
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. march — the month
  7. file — a tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. file — a document
  10. key — for a lock
  11. file — a line of people
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. march — the month
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. march — music
  21. perch — the fish
  22. foot — a measure
  23. key — in music
  24. arm — part of the body

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