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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 120 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: rest · capital · rock · vault · plane · season · ruler · pitcher

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. season — of the year
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. capital — a city
  11. season — in sport
  12. plane — a tool
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rock — music
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rest — what's left

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