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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. plane — a tool
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stem — to come from
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mug — to rob
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. track — to keep track
  16. capital — money
  17. dip — to sink
  18. track — a song
  19. mug — a face
  20. track — a path
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. firm — a company
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mug — a cup

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