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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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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: racket · vault · capital · bear · perch · toast

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — bread
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. capital — money
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bear — the animal
  15. vault — a safe
  16. capital — a city
  17. perch — the fish
  18. racket — for tennis

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