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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. pitch — completely
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bat — the animal
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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