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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mate — to breed
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for golf
  7. capital — a city
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mate — a friend
  13. scale — in music
  14. mate — a partner
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. club — for dancing
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. scale — size or range
  23. capital — money
  24. mouse — the animal

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