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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 120 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: vault · fan · capital · club · mate · fine · stem · plane

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. club — for golf
  4. mate — to breed
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. capital — money
  9. stem — to come from
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fine — high quality
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. plane — a tool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. club — a group
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. club — for dancing
  24. capital — a city

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