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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. game — a match
  4. last — final
  5. game — wild animals
  6. vault — a safe
  7. key — in music
  8. pit — in a race
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pit — a hole
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. present — a gift
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. present — the time now
  23. key — for a lock
  24. pass — a permit

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