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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: racket · bark · capital · ground · vault · band · mouse · hide

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. capital — money
  3. bark — to shout
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. capital — a city
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. vault — a safe
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ground — a position
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. band — a ring
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. capital — a big letter

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