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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bound · vault · fine · fan · capital · stick · shower · swing

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. fine — all right
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. swing — in golf
  7. vault — a safe
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. shower — rain
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. capital — a city
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. fine — high quality
  16. swing — music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. capital — money
  20. bound — certain
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. swing — to play on

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