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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. shower — rain
  5. root — of a word
  6. cue — a signal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. capital — a city
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. chip — for betting
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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