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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: bass · capital · trunk · swing · mate · cabinet · vault · band

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. band — a music group
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. swing — in golf
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mate — a friend
  7. swing — music
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bass — low music
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. capital — money
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. swing — to play on
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. cabinet — ministers

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