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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. key — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. track — to keep track
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. game — wild animals
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cold — not warm
  12. track — a path
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — government
  15. vault — a safe
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — the most important part
  20. track — a song
  21. lie — to recline
  22. game — a match
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. scale — in music

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