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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. vault — a safe
  7. sharp — clever
  8. tube — the underground
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. object — to protest
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. capital — money
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. object — an aim
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. snap — to click
  20. tube — a container
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. object — a thing
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. jam — in traffic

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