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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. squash — to crush
  7. capital — a city
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bulb — for light
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. capital — money
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — to handle
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stem — to come from

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