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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. capital — a city
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. suit — to fit
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pop — music
  12. bat — the animal
  13. drill — army training
  14. pop — soda
  15. swing — to play on
  16. vault — a safe
  17. swing — music
  18. suit — clothes
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. suit — in cards

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