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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · vault · fork · band · mug · fine · nail · capital

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. fine — all right
  5. mug — a cup
  6. band — a ring
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. land — a country
  14. fine — high quality
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. land — to come down
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. land — ground
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mug — a face
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mug — to rob
  23. capital — money
  24. fork — to eat with

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