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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mine — for digging
  3. vault — a safe
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. capital — money
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. present — there
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. tube — a container
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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