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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 124 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. capital — a city
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — a list
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. key — in music
  13. net — for catching
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. staff — employees
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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