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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. key — for a lock
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chair — a leader
  5. face — to point toward
  6. board — a committee
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cell — in biology
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. vault — a safe
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. present — a gift
  18. board — to get on
  19. face — to confront
  20. key — in music
  21. present — the time now
  22. cell — a phone
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. present — there

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