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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.

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: capital · perch · net · mark · vault · staff · fine · bore

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. staff — employees
  3. bore — to drill
  4. capital — a city
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. fine — high quality
  8. staff — a stick
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fine — all right
  13. capital — money
  14. mark — a trace
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. net — for catching
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. vault — a safe
  24. staff — employees

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