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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. file — a tool
  5. firm — steady
  6. bank — of a river
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bank — for money
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. capital — money
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. bank — for money
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. firm — decided
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. firm — a company

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