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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 · bowl · season · hide · toast · capital

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. season — in sport
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — bread
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. capital — money
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. vault — a safe
  15. capital — a city
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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