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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: bank · race · pitch · file · vault · capital

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. file — a document
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bank — for money
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. file — a line of people
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. vault — a safe
  9. file — a tool
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. race — humankind
  12. capital — money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. race — a contest
  15. capital — a city
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitch — completely
  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