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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. capital — a city
  10. rock — music
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rock — a stone
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — bread
  20. date — the fruit
  21. capital — money
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. vault — a safe
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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