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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bat — the animal
  4. can — to be able to
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. capital — a city
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wake — a trail
  12. can — a tin
  13. capital — money
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. can — a tin
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. racket — for tennis

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