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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bear — the animal
  6. capital — money
  7. game — a match
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. game — wild animals
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bear — the animal
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rock — music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. capital — a city
  24. cell — a phone

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