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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pit — in a race
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. board — a committee
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rock — music
  11. craft — boats
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. craft — a skill
  14. board — to get on
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. spring — of water
  22. key — for a lock
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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