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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. deal — to handle
  3. net — after costs
  4. capital — money
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. prune — to trim
  7. net — for catching
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. net — in sport
  10. prune — to trim
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. game — a match
  15. capital — a city
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. stand — to bear
  19. game — wild animals
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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