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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 116 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: bowl · capital · racket · stem · vault · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. capital — money
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. capital — a city
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rock — music
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stem — to come from
  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