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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: capital · bat · chip · vault · calf · bear · march · wake

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. march — the month
  6. bat — the animal
  7. vault — a safe
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. march — the month
  13. chip — to eat
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. march — music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. chip — for betting
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bat — in an idiom

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