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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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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: stand · charge · lash · fan · vault · mouse · capital · court

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. court — of a king
  3. capital — a city
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. court — of law
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. court — for sport
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. vault — a safe
  17. capital — money
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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