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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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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: bank · capital · game · snap · vault · racket · key · root

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. capital — a city
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. snap — to click
  8. capital — money
  9. root — of a plant
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bank — for money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bank — for money
  20. key — in music
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. root — of a word
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. root — the cause

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