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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: foot · squash · vault · bulb · rash · cabinet · file · capital

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rash — hasty
  4. file — a line of people
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. capital — money
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bulb — for light
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. vault — a safe
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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