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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. last — final
  4. last — to go on
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. last — finally
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. capital — money
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. board — to get on
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. charge — a price
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. charge — in control
  20. vault — a safe
  21. capital — a city
  22. board — a committee
  23. rock — music
  24. charge — electricity

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