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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bear — the animal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. club — for dancing
  5. key — the most important part
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pit — a hole
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pit — in a race
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. club — a group
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. club — for golf
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pound — a weight
  21. key — in music
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. key — for a lock

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