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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bear — the animal
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. capital — money
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mine — for digging
  11. swing — music
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. swing — to play on
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. vault — a safe
  23. chair — a leader
  24. capital — a city

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