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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: bowl · wake · track · vault · prune · stick · capital · suit

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. prune — to trim
  3. capital — a city
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. suit — to fit
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. track — to keep track
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. suit — in cards
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. track — a song
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. prune — to trim
  21. suit — clothes
  22. track — a path
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. capital — a big letter

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