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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. vault — a safe
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. court — of law
  9. object — a thing
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spell — letters
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spell — a short time
  14. capital — a city
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. court — of a king
  17. object — an aim
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. capital — money
  20. court — for sport
  21. spell — magic
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fork — in a road
  24. object — to protest

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