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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. capital — money
  6. season — of the year
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cell — a phone
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. season — in sport
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. face — to confront
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cell — in biology
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. face — to point toward
  23. capital — a city
  24. face — part of the head

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