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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 120 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
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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 · pit · wound · game · capital · ball · nail · squash

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pit — a hole
  6. squash — the sport
  7. capital — money
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pit — in a race
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wound — an injury
  12. squash — to crush
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. game — wild animals
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wound — an injury
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. game — a match
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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