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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: capital · ground · vault · season · fork · wound · stand · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. shower — rain
  4. ground — a position
  5. capital — a city
  6. season — in sport
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wound — an injury
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. season — of the year
  17. stand — to bear
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. ground — crushed
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wound — an injury
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. season — to add flavour

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