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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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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: capital · nail · mouse · suit · game · vault · club · prune

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. nail — for a hammer
  3. club — for golf
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. club — a group
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. suit — clothes
  14. game — wild animals
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. suit — in cards
  19. prune — to trim
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. prune — to trim
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. suit — to fit
  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