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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.

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: can · capital · band · degree · board · branch · toast · vault

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. can — a tin
  4. capital — a city
  5. degree — an amount
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. branch — a division
  8. can — a tin
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. degree — temperature
  11. toast — bread
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. capital — money
  15. band — a ring
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. board — to get on
  18. band — a music group
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. can — to be able to
  21. vault — a safe
  22. degree — from a university
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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