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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 · vault · ruler · object · nail · march · tube · shower

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. capital — money
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. shower — to wash
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. vault — a safe
  11. object — an aim
  12. capital — a city
  13. tube — a container
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. march — the month
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. march — the month
  18. object — to protest
  19. march — music
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. shower — rain

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