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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: vault · chair · pound · charge · capital · band · mouse · firm

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. band — a music group
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. charge — electricity
  5. chair — a leader
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. vault — a safe
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. charge — a price
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. band — a ring
  23. charge — in control
  24. firm — decided

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