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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. shower — to wash
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. tube — a container
  7. shower — rain
  8. track — a song
  9. game — a match
  10. track — a path
  11. wake — a trail
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. track — to keep track
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. tube — the underground
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. game — wild animals
  23. key — the most important part
  24. tube — in a tire

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