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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: cap · wound · board · vault · rash · can · capital · ball

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rash — hasty
  3. capital — a city
  4. cap — a lid
  5. ball — a great time
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. can — a tin
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. vault — a safe
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ball — a dance
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. capital — money
  22. wound — an injury
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. can — a tin

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