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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: fine · vault · spell · capital · scale · kid · wake · chair

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. chair — a leader
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. spell — magic
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. kid — to tease
  7. scale — size or range
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. kid — child
  13. vault — a safe
  14. capital — money
  15. scale — in music
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. spell — letters
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. fine — all right
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fine — high quality
  23. capital — a big letter
  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