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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. board — to get on
  3. court — for sport
  4. cap — of ice
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. court — of a king
  13. cap — a hat
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. board — a committee
  16. deal — to handle
  17. capital — money
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. court — of law
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cap — a lid

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