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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. key — the most important part
  4. vault — a safe
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. key — for a lock
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. club — a group
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. net — for catching
  16. key — in music
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. net — in sport
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. net — after costs
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. cell — a phone

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