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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 124 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. scale — in music
  3. club — for dancing
  4. capital — a city
  5. scale — size or range
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stand — to bear
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. club — a group
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. club — for golf
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. capital — money
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. foot — part of the body

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