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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 116 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. swing — to play on
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. swing — music
  8. staff — employees
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mark — a trace
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mark — a grade
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. sharp — clever
  20. swing — in golf
  21. capital — a city
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. vault — a safe

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