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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: capital · wave · scale · cold · wound · firm · mark · vault

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. firm — decided
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wound — an injury
  7. scale — in music
  8. capital — money
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. firm — steady
  14. mark — a grade
  15. firm — a company
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mark — a trace
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cold — an illness
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. cold — not warm

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