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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bank — for money
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. capital — money
  6. bank — for money
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. capital — a city
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bank — of a river
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. bat — the animal
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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