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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 120 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ball — a dance
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. chair — a leader
  6. current — of water
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. vault — a safe
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. current — happening now
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. current — electric
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. ball — a great time

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