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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. march — music
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. last — finally
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. scale — in music
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. march — the month
  12. vault — a safe
  13. board — to get on
  14. scale — size or range
  15. key — the most important part
  16. board — a committee
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. last — to go on
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. last — final
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. key — for a lock
  23. march — the month
  24. cabinet — ministers

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