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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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. temple — a place of worship
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. key — in music
  7. vault — a safe
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pop — music
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rush — hurry
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. key — for a lock
  19. capital — a city
  20. pit — in a race
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pop — soda
  24. capital — money

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