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

Word bank: vault · rule · stock · bank · capital · bay

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. rule — government
  5. bank — for money
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bank — for money
  11. rule — a law
  12. stock — goods
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stock — shares
  18. capital — money

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