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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: track · vault · last · capital · rock · pitch · ball · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. track — a song
  3. capital — a city
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bank — of a river
  7. track — a path
  8. last — final
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rock — a stone
  12. capital — money
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. vault — a safe
  15. last — to go on
  16. rock — music
  17. last — finally
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. pitch — completely
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bank — for money
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pitch — a sports field

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