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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. capital — money
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. object — to protest
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. object — an aim
  15. bass — low music
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. object — a thing
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bass — the fish
  21. capital — a city
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — the instrument

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