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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 116 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. capital — money
  4. club — for golf
  5. capital — a city
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bark — to shout
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pop — music
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. band — a music group
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pop — soda
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — a group
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pop — to visit
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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