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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: craft · charge · rash · dip · vault · capital · game · bat

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bat — the animal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. capital — money
  6. craft — a skill
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. charge — in control
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. game — a match
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. capital — a city
  17. dip — to sink
  18. vault — a safe
  19. craft — boats
  20. charge — a price
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. game — a kind of play

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