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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
468
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: capital · vault · tube · mouse · bark · wake · wound · board

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wound — an injury
  6. tube — a container
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. capital — money
  13. board — a committee
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wake — a trail
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. capital — a city
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. board — to get on
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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