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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: capital · can · bank · content · kid · root · vault · mine

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. capital — a city
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bank — of a river
  10. can — a tin
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bank — for money
  13. kid — to tease
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. content — happy
  16. bank — for money
  17. capital — money
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. can — a tin
  20. kid — child
  21. mine — for digging
  22. can — to be able to
  23. root — of a word
  24. content — the amount

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