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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. vault — a safe
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. saw — the tool
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. chip — to eat
  12. key — in music
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. court — of law
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ball — a great time
  21. saw — the tool
  22. key — for a lock
  23. chip — for betting
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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