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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. object — an aim
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. object — to protest
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. capital — money
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. capital — a city
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. object — a thing
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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