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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. object — a thing
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. band — a ring
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. key — the most important part
  11. band — a music group
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stand — to bear
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. present — the time now
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. vault — a safe

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