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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. vault — a safe
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. capital — money
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. chair — a leader
  21. firm — a company
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. firm — steady
  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