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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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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: kick · net · deal · date · capital · land · fall · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fall — to drop
  5. net — for catching
  6. capital — a city
  7. fall — the season
  8. land — ground
  9. capital — money
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. net — in sport
  12. date — the fruit
  13. deal — to handle
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. land — to come down
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. net — after costs
  22. fall — to drop
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. land — a country

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