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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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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: present · calf · fall · rule · bass · capital · vault · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. rule — government
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. present — a gift
  7. fall — to drop
  8. present — the time now
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. capital — a city
  13. fall — the season
  14. vault — a safe
  15. capital — money
  16. bass — low music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. present — there
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chair — a leader
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rule — a law

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