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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. pop — music
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bass — low music
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tube — a container
  9. bass — the fish
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. capital — money
  12. pop — soda
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. capital — a city
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. tube — the underground
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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