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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: rash · chair · vault · lie · march · track · capital · bay

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. capital — money
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lie — to recline
  5. track — a song
  6. march — the month
  7. capital — a city
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. march — the month
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. vault — a safe
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. march — music
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. track — to keep track
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. track — a path
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. lie — an untruth

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