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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 · object · season · fine · capital · rock · current · firm

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. firm — steady
  3. fine — all right
  4. firm — decided
  5. rock — music
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. current — electric
  9. object — to protest
  10. fine — high quality
  11. object — an aim
  12. season — in sport
  13. capital — a city
  14. season — of the year
  15. capital — money
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. current — of water
  20. rock — a stone
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. firm — a company
  24. object — a thing

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