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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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Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kid — child
  3. capital — money
  4. land — a country
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ball — a dance
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. capital — a city
  10. charge — in control
  11. land — ground
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pit — a hole
  14. ball — a great time
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pit — in a race
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. charge — a price
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. land — to come down
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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