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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.

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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: calf · capital · vault · bear · fan · mark · club · fork

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bear — the animal
  10. club — for golf
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mark — a trace
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. mark — a grade
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fork — in a road
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. club — a group
  24. vault — a safe

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