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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
468
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: perch · net · capital · root · dip · current · vault · bound

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. root — of a word
  3. net — for catching
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bound — obliged
  7. perch — the fish
  8. capital — money
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. current — happening now
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. current — of water
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. current — electric
  16. bound — tied together
  17. root — the cause
  18. bound — certain
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. capital — a city
  22. root — of a plant
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. perch — for a bird

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