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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. key — in music
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. firm — a company
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. mate — to breed
  10. chip — to eat
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mate — a friend
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. chip — for betting
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mate — a partner
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. toast — bread

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