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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 120 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. can — to be able to
  3. capital — money
  4. can — a tin
  5. chip — for betting
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. net — after costs
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rush — hurry
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chip — to eat
  15. net — for catching
  16. bound — tied together
  17. can — a tin
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. capital — a city
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. net — in sport
  24. bound — certain

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