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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. object — an aim
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. foot — a measure
  8. court — for sport
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. present — the time now
  11. vault — a safe
  12. capital — a city
  13. court — of law
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. present — a gift
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. shower — to wash
  19. object — a thing
  20. court — of a king
  21. capital — money
  22. hand — in cards
  23. present — there
  24. object — to protest

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