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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. scale — in music
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. can — a tin
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. capital — money
  9. chip — for betting
  10. shower — to wash
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. vault — a safe
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. snap — to click
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. can — to be able to
  19. scale — size or range
  20. shower — rain
  21. kick — in football
  22. chip — to eat
  23. capital — a city
  24. scale — for weighing

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