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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: hide · cap · band · land · vault · content · rule · coach

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cap — of ice
  4. band — a ring
  5. land — ground
  6. cap — a lid
  7. land — a country
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. band — a music group
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. land — to come down
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. content — happy
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. content — the amount
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. vault — a safe
  24. hide — to keep secret

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