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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. key — the most important part
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bore — to tire
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. bore — to drill
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fine — all right
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. root — of a plant
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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