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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: capital · net · deal · march · leaves · bank · vault · saw

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. net — in sport
  4. vault — a safe
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. net — for catching
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. capital — money
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. net — after costs
  14. bank — of a river
  15. march — the month
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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