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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: pop · stem · bulb · capital · bank · pound · vault · clip

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bank — for money
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pop — to visit
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stem — to come from
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pop — music
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. clip — a video
  20. capital — a city
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. capital — money

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