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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · content · spell · capital · chair · present · vault · press

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. present — there
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. present — the time now
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. present — a gift
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — to push
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. capital — money
  13. spell — letters
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. press — a publisher
  17. vault — a safe
  18. content — happy
  19. spell — magic
  20. capital — a city
  21. rash — hasty
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. content — the amount
  24. rash — a series

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