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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: bear · mouse · land · court · craft · vault · deal · capital

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. capital — a city
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. court — of a king
  5. craft — a skill
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. court — of law
  10. craft — boats
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. land — to come down
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — money
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. land — ground
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. vault — a safe
  23. land — a country
  24. court — for sport

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