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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 116 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: chair · capital · wake · bat · vault · mug · deal · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mug — a cup
  4. deal — to handle
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mug — to rob
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. capital — a city
  11. bat — the animal
  12. capital — money
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. object — an aim
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mug — a face
  22. object — to protest
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. chair — a leader

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