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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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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: suit · capital · bound · dip · leaves · vault · degree · plane

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. degree — temperature
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bound — tied together
  5. vault — a safe
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. degree — from a university
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. suit — in cards
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. suit — clothes
  13. plane — a tool
  14. capital — a city
  15. bound — obliged
  16. suit — to fit
  17. capital — money
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. degree — an amount
  22. dip — to sink
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bound — certain

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