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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. ball — a great time
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pound — a weight
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. capital — money
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cue — a signal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rash — hasty
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lean — thin
  19. cue — a hint
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. pound — for dogs

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