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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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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 · squash · calf · bound · vault · cue · chest · toast

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cue — for pool
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bound — obliged
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. capital — money
  9. cue — a hint
  10. chest — of your body
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. chest — a box
  13. bound — tied together
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bound — certain
  19. vault — a safe
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. squash — the sport
  22. toast — bread
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. capital — a city

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