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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. club — for dancing
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. suit — in cards
  9. spring — a coil
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. club — a group
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. capital — a city
  15. squash — to crush
  16. vault — a safe
  17. squash — the sport
  18. club — for golf
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. capital — money
  21. spring — the season
  22. suit — clothes
  23. spring — of water
  24. suit — to fit

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