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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. stand — to bear
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. capital — a city
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. toast — bread
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fine — all right
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. vault — a safe
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mark — a grade
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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