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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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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 · bark · bank · vault · kick · last · ball · rest

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. capital — money
  5. rest — what's left
  6. last — finally
  7. bank — for money
  8. last — final
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. capital — a city
  13. rest — what's left
  14. last — to go on
  15. bank — for money
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ball — a great time
  18. vault — a safe
  19. kick — in football
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rest — a break
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bank — of a river

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