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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · cap · stand · vault · fine · land

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cap — a lid
  3. land — to come down
  4. clip — to cut
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cap — of ice
  7. fine — high quality
  8. clip — for paper
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stand — to bear
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. clip — a video
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. land — ground
  17. fine — all right
  18. land — a country

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