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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: dip · race · object · jam · fork · capital · firm · vault

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. object — a thing
  3. race — the arms race
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. firm — decided
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. dip — to sink
  9. race — humankind
  10. vault — a safe
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. firm — steady
  14. capital — a city
  15. object — an aim
  16. race — a contest
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. object — to protest
  20. capital — money
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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