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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. key — for a lock
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. key — in music
  11. sharp — clever
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. squash — to crush
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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