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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: coach · club · vault · dip · capital · ground · bulb · spell

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. club — for golf
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bulb — for light
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. club — a group
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. ground — a position
  11. spell — a short time
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spell — letters
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. ground — the earth
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — money
  20. spell — magic
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ground — crushed
  24. club — for dancing

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