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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. vault — a safe
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. key — in music
  5. race — a contest
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cue — for pool
  10. race — the arms race
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. march — the month
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. race — humankind
  21. march — the month
  22. cue — a hint
  23. march — music
  24. pass — to succeed

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