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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. suit — in cards
  6. capital — money
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. vault — a safe
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pitch — completely
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. suit — clothes
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. capital — a city
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. club — for golf
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. swing — music
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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