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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bat — the animal
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pit — in a race
  8. capital — money
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. scale — size or range
  11. board — to get on
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. capital — a city
  14. vault — a safe
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. tube — a container
  17. scale — in music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. board — a committee

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