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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. key — the most important part
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. key — in music
  11. bat — the animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rock — music
  16. spring — of water
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bat — for baseball

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