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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: rule · capital · kick · chest · chair · rock · net · vault

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. net — for catching
  7. rock — a stone
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. net — after costs
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. net — in sport
  15. vault — a safe
  16. capital — money
  17. chair — a leader
  18. capital — a city
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rock — music

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