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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. capital — money
  4. prune — to trim
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. chair — a leader
  10. plane — a tool
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pop — soda
  15. dip — to sink
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pop — music
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pop — to visit
  22. capital — a city
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mouse — the animal

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