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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. clip — to cut
  3. root — of a word
  4. cap — of ice
  5. clip — for paper
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. clip — a video
  9. root — of a plant
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. root — the cause
  16. club — for dancing
  17. capital — money
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cap — a hat
  20. club — a group
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pass — a permit
  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