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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: object · capital · leaves · can · hand · vault · bass · club

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. object — an aim
  7. vault — a safe
  8. can — a tin
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bass — low music
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bass — the fish
  13. object — to protest
  14. can — to be able to
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. hand — help
  17. capital — a city
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. object — a thing
  22. club — a group
  23. capital — money
  24. leaves — lets stay

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