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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mark — a grade
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. foot — a measure
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. key — in music
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. game — a match
  14. key — the most important part
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. court — of law
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mark — a trace
  23. date — the fruit
  24. foot — part of the body

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