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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. net — in sport
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. ball — a great time
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. net — after costs
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. ball — a dance
  13. vault — a safe
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. net — for catching

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