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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. craft — boats
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wound — an injury
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fine — all right
  10. capital — a city
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cap — a lid
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fine — high quality
  17. capital — money
  18. cap — a hat
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bowl — a dish

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