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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. kid — to tease
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. capital — a city
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. vault — a safe
  8. capital — money
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. deal — to handle
  11. club — for golf
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. club — for dancing
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. present — a gift
  19. kid — child
  20. club — a group
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. dip — to sink

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