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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: chip · chair · ground · charge · vault · capital · lean · bowl

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. charge — electricity
  5. chip — for betting
  6. charge — a price
  7. vault — a safe
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. chip — to eat
  10. charge — in control
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. lean — thin
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. ground — a position
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. lean — to bend
  21. capital — money
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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