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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: vault · capital · bowl · craft · pass · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. craft — boats
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. staff — employees
  12. capital — a city
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. capital — money
  15. vault — a safe
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. craft — a handicraft

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