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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. capital — money
  3. stem — to come from
  4. object — an aim
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. object — a thing
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. ball — a great time
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. last — to go on
  17. vault — a safe
  18. last — finally
  19. object — to protest
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. ball — a dance
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. capital — a city
  24. last — final

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