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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: face · bulb · firm · club · capital · track · kid · vault

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. track — a song
  3. capital — a city
  4. firm — steady
  5. face — to point toward
  6. club — a group
  7. capital — money
  8. track — a path
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bulb — for light
  11. face — part of the head
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. club — for dancing
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. kid — child
  17. bulb — for light
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. club — for golf
  21. kid — to tease
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. face — to confront
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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