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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bank — for money
  10. pit — in a race
  11. race — a contest
  12. track — a song
  13. mate — a friend
  14. capital — a city
  15. bank — of a river
  16. firm — a company
  17. race — the arms race
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bank — for money
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. race — humankind
  24. firm — decided

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