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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cell — in biology
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. current — happening now
  13. present — a gift
  14. capital — a city
  15. tube — the underground
  16. scale — size or range
  17. tube — a container
  18. present — the time now
  19. scale — in music
  20. cue — a signal
  21. present — there
  22. cell — a phone
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. capital — money

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