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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: pitcher · vault · bowl · firm · capital · rock · arm · ruler

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. firm — decided
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rock — music
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. capital — money
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. firm — steady
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. firm — a company
  24. rock — to move gently

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