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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. swing — music
  4. track — to keep track
  5. capital — a city
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. perch — the fish
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. swing — to play on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. track — a song
  15. tube — a container
  16. track — a path
  17. swing — in golf
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. foot — a measure
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. capital — money
  24. tube — the underground

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