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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 116 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stock — shares
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. branch — a division
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. tube — the underground
  17. key — in music
  18. cell — a phone
  19. tube — a container
  20. stock — goods
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — in biology
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wound — an injury

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