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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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468
Word bank
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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. court — of law
  6. root — the cause
  7. pitch — completely
  8. capital — money
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. court — for sport
  15. bore — to tire
  16. court — of a king
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bore — to drill
  21. root — of a word
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — government

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