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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 · rest · fork · current · vault · racket

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. current — happening now
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rest — what's left
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rest — a break
  9. capital — money
  10. current — electric
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. current — of water
  17. fork — in a road
  18. rest — what's left

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