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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: bulb · capital · pop · chair · vault · toast · scale · wind

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a leader
  3. wind — moving air
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. scale — in music
  6. pop — music
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bulb — for light
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pop — to visit
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pop — soda
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bulb — for light
  21. capital — a city
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. toast — bread
  24. wind — moving air

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