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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. drill — the tool
  4. capital — a city
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pop — soda
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pop — music
  11. drill — a practice
  12. vault — a safe
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pop — to visit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. capital — money
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. drill — army training
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fan — a supporter

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