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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: capital · ruler · jam · vault · lean · present

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. present — there
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. capital — a city
  6. vault — a safe
  7. present — a gift
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. capital — money
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. present — the time now
  12. lean — to bend
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. lean — thin
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. capital — a big letter

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