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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fall — to drop
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — a city
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cell — in biology
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. capital — money
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cell — in a prison

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