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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 120 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: band · ball · pass · capital · season · vault · object · bore

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. season — in sport
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. ball — a great time
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. band — a music group
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. season — of the year
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. object — a thing
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bore — to tire
  18. object — to protest
  19. ball — a dance
  20. band — a ring
  21. vault — a safe
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bore — to drill
  24. season — to add flavour

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