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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: can · vault · capital · leaves · fine · ground · chip · coach

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. ground — the earth
  5. can — a tin
  6. capital — a city
  7. vault — a safe
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. chip — for betting
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ground — crushed
  15. chip — to eat
  16. can — a tin
  17. fine — high quality
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. can — to be able to
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. ground — a position
  24. coach — a trainer

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