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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 116 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. land — ground
  3. game — a match
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cap — of ice
  6. land — a country
  7. mine — for digging
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cap — a hat
  16. land — to come down
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. game — wild animals
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. craft — a skill
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. cap — a lid
  24. key — 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