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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. scale — in music
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. capital — a city
  6. plane — a tool
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. hand — help
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. scale — size or range

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