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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rule — government
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bear — the animal
  5. capital — money
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. vault — a safe
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rule — a law
  14. capital — a city
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rule — to rule out

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