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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. vault — a safe
  9. season — of the year
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. key — for a lock
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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