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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. swing — music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. branch — a division
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. swing — in golf
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. land — to come down
  13. foot — a measure
  14. key — in music
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cell — in biology
  17. land — ground
  18. cell — a phone
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. land — a country
  21. swing — to play on
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. branch — of a tree

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