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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · capital · pop · racket · bore · foot · game · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bore — to drill
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. capital — money
  8. pop — soda
  9. bore — to tire
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pop — to visit
  16. game — a match
  17. foot — a measure
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pop — music
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. vault — a safe

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