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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cap · fine · vault · club · capital · stock · scale · jam

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. fine — all right
  3. stock — goods
  4. scale — in music
  5. capital — money
  6. club — for golf
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stock — shares
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fine — high quality
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. club — for dancing
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. vault — a safe
  18. club — a group
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. capital — a city
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. fine — a penalty

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