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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: vault · ball · saw · rash · suit · capital · last · mouse

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. suit — in cards
  6. saw — the tool
  7. capital — a city
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. last — finally
  10. ball — a great time
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rash — a series
  13. last — to go on
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. suit — clothes
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. capital — money
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. saw — the tool
  24. suit — to fit

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