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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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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: vault · capital · mouse · chip · field · temple · foot · drill

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. foot — a measure
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. vault — a safe
  6. chip — to eat
  7. drill — the tool
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. field — for sport
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. drill — army training
  15. field — a subject
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. field — farmland
  20. capital — a city
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mouse — the animal

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