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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. key — in music
  9. track — a path
  10. race — humankind
  11. track — to keep track
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. key — the most important part
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. race — a contest
  22. track — a song
  23. race — the arms race
  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