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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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Word bank
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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. lean — thin
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. file — a tool
  5. chip — to eat
  6. key — the most important part
  7. court — of a king
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lean — to bend
  11. key — for a lock
  12. present — the time now
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. present — there
  15. court — of law
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. key — in music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. file — a line of people
  22. vault — a safe
  23. file — a document
  24. court — for sport

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