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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. key — the most important part
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mate — to breed
  8. net — in sport
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. net — after costs
  15. mate — a partner
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rush — hurry
  18. net — for catching
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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