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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. game — a match
  3. vault — a safe
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. capital — money
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. stand — to bear
  13. game — wild animals
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. capital — a city
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rash — hasty
  20. ball — a great time
  21. mark — a trace
  22. ball — a dance
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. mark — a grade

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