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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: spell · board · capital · chair · vault · object · race · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. board — a committee
  3. race — the arms race
  4. spell — a short time
  5. chair — a leader
  6. board — to get on
  7. object — an aim
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. spell — letters
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. object — a thing
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. race — humankind
  14. bank — for money
  15. object — to protest
  16. race — a contest
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bank — of a river
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. capital — money
  22. spell — magic
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. capital — a city

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