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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: coach · vault · mate · suit · capital · kick · rest · perch

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. capital — a city
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. kick — in football
  6. suit — to fit
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. capital — money
  10. perch — the fish
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rest — what's left
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mate — to breed
  17. vault — a safe
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rest — what's left
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rest — a break
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. suit — clothes

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