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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. content — happy
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. content — the amount
  8. bore — to tire
  9. court — for sport
  10. vault — a safe
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. key — for a lock
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. court — of a king
  17. suit — to fit
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. key — in music
  21. perch — the fish
  22. court — of law
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fork — in a road

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