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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. march — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. club — a group
  5. tube — a container
  6. ground — a position
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. club — for golf
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. key — in music
  12. pop — soda
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. key — the most important part
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ground — the earth
  18. tube — the underground
  19. march — the month
  20. pop — music
  21. ground — crushed
  22. vault — a safe
  23. club — for dancing
  24. march — the month

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