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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: vault · branch · toast · capital · pass · roll · pound · march

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. toast — bread
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. roll — a cake
  12. march — the month
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. branch — a division
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. march — music
  17. pass — a permit
  18. march — the month
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. roll — a list
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pound — a weight

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