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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. chip — to eat
  5. capital — money
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wound — an injury
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pop — soda
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wound — an injury
  17. capital — a city
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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