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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 116 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rash — a series
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. swing — music
  11. rash — hasty
  12. capital — money
  13. mark — a trace
  14. capital — a city
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bank — of a river
  20. vault — a safe
  21. prune — to trim
  22. content — the amount
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. content — happy

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