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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. object — to protest
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. root — the cause
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. root — of a word
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. object — an aim
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. object — a thing
  19. vault — a safe
  20. capital — a city
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bat — in an idiom

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