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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. court — for sport
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. capital — money
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. craft — a skill
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. court — of a king
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. vault — a safe
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. court — of law
  24. bay — a horse colour

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