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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: bass · capital · can · rock · fall · vault · bore · game

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bass — the fish
  3. capital — a city
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fall — the season
  7. game — a match
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bore — to tire
  13. capital — money
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bore — to drill
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rock — a stone
  19. can — a tin
  20. rock — music
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bass — low music
  24. fall — to drop

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