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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fall — the season
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rule — a law
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. firm — decided
  9. field — farmland
  10. fall — to drop
  11. current — happening now
  12. field — for sport
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. current — electric
  15. rule — government
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — steady
  18. vault — a safe
  19. capital — money
  20. current — of water
  21. deal — to handle
  22. capital — a city
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. field — a subject

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