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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: kick · date · club · vault · capital · march · can · safe

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. club — for golf
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. date — the fruit
  6. club — a group
  7. march — the month
  8. can — a tin
  9. march — music
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. club — for dancing
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. capital — money
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. march — the month
  18. vault — a safe
  19. kick — in football
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. can — to be able to
  24. date — on the calendar

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