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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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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: ruler · capital · vault · spring · pop · chip

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. vault — a safe
  5. chip — to eat
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. chip — for betting
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pop — to visit
  16. capital — a city
  17. spring — of water
  18. capital — money

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