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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — money
  5. ground — crushed
  6. vault — a safe
  7. dip — to sink
  8. ground — a position
  9. bass — low music
  10. track — to keep track
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. track — a path
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. drill — army training
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. drill — a practice
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bass — the fish
  20. drill — the tool
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rock — music
  23. track — a song
  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