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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.

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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: file · fine · fall · swing · capital · root · bank · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. capital — a city
  3. fall — the season
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fall — to drop
  6. file — a tool
  7. root — of a word
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fine — all right
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. file — a document
  12. swing — music
  13. root — the cause
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fall — to drop
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bank — for money
  20. capital — money
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bank — for money
  23. swing — to play on
  24. root — of a plant

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