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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.

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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: root · sharp · capital · vault · mate · file · track · bank

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. track — a song
  4. file — a tool
  5. mate — to breed
  6. vault — a safe
  7. file — a line of people
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. root — of a word
  11. track — to keep track
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. capital — money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mate — a partner
  16. root — the cause
  17. bank — for money
  18. capital — a city
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bank — for money
  21. track — a path
  22. file — a document
  23. mate — a friend
  24. root — of a plant

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