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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. rule — a law
  6. row — a line
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. capital — a city
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. toast — bread
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bulb — for light
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rule — government
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. ruler — for measuring

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