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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: land · capital · racket · vault · fine · leaves · dip · stick

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. land — a country
  5. vault — a safe
  6. land — to come down
  7. capital — a city
  8. fine — all right
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. fine — high quality
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. capital — money
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. land — ground
  21. dip — to sink
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. dip — to dunk

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