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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cell — a phone
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. firm — decided
  5. land — to come down
  6. vault — a safe
  7. key — for a lock
  8. firm — steady
  9. capital — money
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. land — ground
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. key — the most important part
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. key — in music
  16. bound — tied together
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bound — certain
  19. land — a country
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. firm — a company
  23. cell — in biology
  24. capital — a city

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