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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. capital — money
  2. land — to come down
  3. capital — a city
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. degree — temperature
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bank — for money
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. toast — bread
  16. land — ground
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. staff — a stick
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — from a university
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. land — a country
  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