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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. court — of a king
  5. roll — a cake
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. court — for sport
  10. perch — the fish
  11. last — finally
  12. key — for a lock
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. last — final
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. roll — a list
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wake — a trail
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. court — of law
  24. last — to go on

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