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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · mug · vault · plane · content · ball · swing · mine

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mug — a cup
  4. swing — in golf
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. content — happy
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mug — a face
  11. capital — a city
  12. mine — for digging
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. capital — money
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. ball — a dance
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. plane — a tool
  22. swing — to play on
  23. content — the amount
  24. vault — a safe

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