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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. vault — a safe
  6. track — a song
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. capital — a city
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. track — to keep track
  12. lie — to recline
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. firm — steady
  18. capital — money
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. track — a path
  21. firm — a company
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lie — an untruth

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