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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. capital — a city
  3. pop — soda
  4. capital — money
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. suit — in cards
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pop — to visit
  9. vault — a safe
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. suit — clothes
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. band — a ring
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pop — music
  19. pitch — completely
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. suit — to fit
  22. band — a music group
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. dip — to dunk

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