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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 120 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: bowl · charge · row · cue · capital · vault · rash · cap

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rash — hasty
  5. cue — a hint
  6. vault — a safe
  7. row — a line
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cap — of ice
  10. row — to paddle
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rash — a series
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — money
  20. charge — in control
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bowl — to roll

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