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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. tube — a container
  3. deal — to handle
  4. land — to come down
  5. fine — high quality
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. land — a country
  10. fine — all right
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mate — a partner
  14. land — ground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. capital — money
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. capital — a city
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. safe — a strongbox

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