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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. ball — a dance
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rock — music
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. ball — a great time
  9. land — to come down
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. capital — money
  13. snap — to click
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. land — ground
  17. vault — a safe
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. land — a country
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — in music

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