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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: capital · vault · track · cue · rock · suit · march · pitcher

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. track — to keep track
  3. capital — money
  4. march — music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rock — music
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cue — a signal
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. track — a path
  15. capital — a city
  16. track — a song
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. march — the month
  20. cue — a hint
  21. suit — to fit
  22. march — the month
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cue — for pool

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