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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. track — a song
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. capital — money
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bulb — for light
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pit — in a race
  19. track — to keep track
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. track — a path
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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