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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. file — a document
  3. root — the cause
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. board — to get on
  8. file — a tool
  9. key — for a lock
  10. present — the time now
  11. mate — to breed
  12. board — a committee
  13. root — of a word
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. root — of a plant
  17. present — there
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mate — a friend
  22. present — a gift
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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