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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ball — a great time
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. toast — bread
  6. chip — to eat
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. vault — a safe
  11. ball — a dance
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. capital — money
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. chip — for betting
  20. capital — a city
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. toast — the most admired
  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