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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. key — the most important part
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. key — in music
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bound — certain
  19. bat — the animal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. key — for a lock

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