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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: perch · present · bowl · vault · capital · stick

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. perch — the fish
  5. capital — money
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. vault — a safe
  14. capital — a city
  15. present — a gift
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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