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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. court — for sport
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rock — a stone
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rock — music
  16. cap — a hat
  17. key — in music
  18. foot — a measure
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. court — of a king
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. cap — a lid
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. court — of law

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