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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. capital — a city
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. land — a country
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bulb — for light
  14. land — to come down
  15. vault — a safe
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. land — ground
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pit — a hole
  20. scale — in music
  21. capital — money
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bulb — for light
  24. calf — of the leg

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