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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: stock · face · vault · fork · ground · fine · cap · capital

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. cap — a lid
  3. capital — a city
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. face — to point toward
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. ground — crushed
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stock — goods
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stock — shares
  20. capital — money
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. fine — all right

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