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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: capital · pitcher · fine · vault · pop · safe · club · bank

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bank — of a river
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pop — soda
  12. fine — high quality
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. capital — a city
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fine — all right
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bank — for money
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bank — for money
  22. capital — money
  23. pop — music
  24. vault — a safe

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