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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 116 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: vault · branch · stem · rule · capital · ball · mouse · mark

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. capital — money
  3. mark — a trace
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mark — a grade
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. branch — a division
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rule — a law
  18. capital — a city
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rule — government
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. branch — of a tree

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