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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: board · vault · bulb · capital · date · mug · can · spring

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. capital — a city
  4. spring — of water
  5. board — to get on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. board — a committee
  8. mug — to rob
  9. spring — a coil
  10. date — the fruit
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. can — a tin
  13. spring — the season
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mug — a cup
  20. can — a tin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mug — a face
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. can — to be able to

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