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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. chip — to eat
  5. capital — a city
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. capital — money
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. toast — bread
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. hand — in cards
  20. chip — for betting
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. hand — help
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. vault — a safe

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