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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: capital · chair · degree · nail · bay · leaves · vault · row

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. degree — temperature
  12. row — a line
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. degree — an amount
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. capital — a city
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. capital — money
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. vault — a safe
  24. chair — a leader

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