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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 120 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: vault · cabinet · leaves · pass · prune · foot · capital · charge

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. charge — in control
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pass — a permit
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. vault — a safe
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. capital — a city
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. prune — to trim
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. capital — money
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. prune — to trim
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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