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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: dip · foot · bound · capital · vault · toast · suit · court

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. capital — a city
  7. court — for sport
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bound — tied together
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bound — certain
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. toast — bread
  14. bound — obliged
  15. dip — to sink
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. capital — money
  18. foot — a measure
  19. suit — in cards
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. suit — clothes
  22. vault — a safe
  23. suit — to fit
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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