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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pop — to visit
  3. object — a thing
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pop — music
  8. vault — a safe
  9. object — to protest
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. present — a gift
  13. charge — in control
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pop — soda
  16. object — an aim
  17. bore — to drill
  18. spring — of water
  19. bore — to tire
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. spring — the season
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. capital — a city

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