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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 120 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. capital — a city
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. foot — a measure
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. march — the month
  9. fall — to drop
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. board — a committee
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. vault — a safe
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. march — music
  17. board — to get on
  18. court — of a king
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. march — the month
  21. capital — money
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. court — for sport

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