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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 116 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: kid · track · band · capital · vault · firm · fork · object

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. object — a thing
  3. fork — in a road
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. firm — a company
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. object — an aim
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. kid — child
  12. object — to protest
  13. capital — a city
  14. band — a music group
  15. firm — decided
  16. capital — money
  17. kid — to tease
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. band — a ring
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. firm — steady

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