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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 116 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: pop · dip · safe · row · board · capital · vault · mark

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. capital — a city
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mark — a trace
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pop — music
  7. board — to get on
  8. row — a line
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. row — to paddle
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pop — to visit
  13. vault — a safe
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. board — a committee
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. capital — money
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pop — soda

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