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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fine — all right
  6. rock — a stone
  7. vault — a safe
  8. current — electric
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rock — music
  11. fine — high quality
  12. capital — a city
  13. current — happening now
  14. capital — money
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. current — of water

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