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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. craft — boats
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. current — electric
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. current — of water
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. current — happening now
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. craft — a skill
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. vault — a safe
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. dip — to sink
  23. capital — a city
  24. chair — a leader

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