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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: suit · bass · sharp · chip · jam · roll · capital · plane

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. plane — a tool
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. suit — in cards
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. chip — to eat
  9. suit — clothes
  10. roll — a list
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. sharp — clever
  13. capital — money
  14. bass — low music
  15. suit — to fit
  16. roll — a cake
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bass — the fish
  22. chip — for betting
  23. capital — a city
  24. jam — in traffic

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