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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. charge — electricity
  3. vault — a safe
  4. charge — in control
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a city
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. saw — the tool
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cap — a lid
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. charge — a price

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