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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mug — to rob
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mug — a face
  6. current — of water
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. roll — a cake
  11. current — electric
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. mug — a cup
  15. current — happening now
  16. squash — the sport
  17. cap — a lid
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. roll — a list
  22. pitch — completely
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. squash — to crush

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