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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fork — in a road
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. object — to protest
  8. capital — a city
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. mate — a friend
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. capital — money
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mate — a partner
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. object — a thing
  20. mate — to breed
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. chip — to eat
  24. temple — a place of worship

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