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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. shower — rain
  9. toast — bread
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fine — all right
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. shower — to wash
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pit — a hole
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. fine — high quality
  19. capital — a city
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. capital — money
  24. stem — of a plant

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