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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: vault · suit · kick · capital · foot · pitcher · pound · net

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. suit — to fit
  10. capital — a city
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. suit — clothes
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. kick — in football
  20. capital — money
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. suit — in cards
  23. net — in sport
  24. foot — the bottom

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