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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · capital · stock · current · vault · suit · kid · arm

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stock — shares
  5. kid — to tease
  6. suit — to fit
  7. stock — goods
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. current — of water
  13. capital — money
  14. saw — the tool
  15. kid — child
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. capital — a city
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. suit — clothes
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. vault — a safe
  24. capital — a big letter

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