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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mine — for digging
  6. key — for a lock
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. root — the cause
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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