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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: vault · land · charge · pound · capital · mouse · chip · spell

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. land — to come down
  5. spell — letters
  6. chip — to eat
  7. charge — electricity
  8. spell — a short time
  9. charge — in control
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. capital — money
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. capital — a city
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. spell — magic
  16. chip — for betting
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. charge — a price
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — for dogs

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