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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. capital — money
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. capital — a city
  13. object — a thing
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. object — an aim
  16. stand — to bear
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. track — to keep track
  23. object — to protest
  24. stand — for spectators

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