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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. saw — the tool
  3. vault — a safe
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. club — for dancing
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. saw — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. court — of law
  15. club — for golf
  16. capital — money
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. court — for sport
  20. kick — in football
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. court — of a king
  23. club — a group
  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