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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: vault · capital · fine · calf · current · rock · spell · scale

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. capital — money
  6. scale — size or range
  7. spell — magic
  8. scale — in music
  9. spell — letters
  10. capital — a city
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. vault — a safe
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. current — electric
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rock — music
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. current — of water
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. current — happening now
  24. spell — a short time

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