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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: ball · branch · vault · kick · capital · deal · bore · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. ball — a great time
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. vault — a safe
  13. kick — in football
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ball — a dance
  20. branch — a division
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. deal — to handle
  23. capital — a city
  24. bore — gave birth

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