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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: safe · march · cue · press · vault · capital

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. capital — money
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. press — a publisher
  9. vault — a safe
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. march — the month
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. press — to push
  15. cue — a signal
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. press — newspapers
  18. capital — a city

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