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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. vault — a safe
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. land — a country
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. land — ground
  11. degree — from a university
  12. capital — a city
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lie — to recline
  15. capital — money
  16. degree — an amount
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. degree — temperature
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — the underground
  22. land — to come down
  23. tube — a container
  24. capital — a big letter

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