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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. fall — the season
  3. root — the cause
  4. capital — a city
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mate — to breed
  7. current — of water
  8. object — an aim
  9. current — electric
  10. root — of a plant
  11. court — for sport
  12. object — to protest
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mate — a partner
  15. capital — money
  16. fall — to drop
  17. current — happening now
  18. vault — a safe
  19. object — a thing
  20. court — of law
  21. mate — a friend
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. court — of a king
  24. root — of a word

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