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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: saw · capital · ruler · vault · kid · perch

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. kid — child
  6. capital — a city
  7. perch — the fish
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. saw — the tool
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. kid — to tease
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. vault — a safe
  18. ruler — for measuring

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