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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: court · tube · capital · present · vault · object · pound · leaves

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. present — a gift
  5. court — of a king
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. present — there
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. court — of law
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. capital — money
  17. present — the time now
  18. capital — a city
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. tube — a container
  21. pound — a weight
  22. vault — a safe
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. court — for sport

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