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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. fine — high quality
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. game — a match
  8. swing — to play on
  9. vault — a safe
  10. swing — music
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. deal — to handle
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pit — a hole
  23. fine — all right
  24. pound — a weight

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