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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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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 · rest · suit · firm · bank · capital

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. suit — in cards
  3. firm — a company
  4. rest — a break
  5. vault — a safe
  6. capital — a city
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bank — for money
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bank — of a river
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. firm — decided
  14. bank — for money
  15. capital — money
  16. suit — to fit
  17. firm — steady
  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