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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. track — a song
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. capital — a city
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mug — to rob
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. track — a path
  19. rash — a series
  20. track — to keep track
  21. vault — a safe
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mug — a face

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