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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: bowl · vault · bulb · bank · craft · band · game · capital

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bank — of a river
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bulb — for light
  5. band — a music group
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. capital — money
  10. game — a match
  11. bank — for money
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bank — for money
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bulb — for light
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. craft — boats
  24. game — wild animals

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