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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: ball · bass · capital · fan · chair · foot · suit · vault

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — a city
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. suit — clothes
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. suit — in cards
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. capital — money
  17. chair — a leader
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bass — the fish
  20. vault — a safe
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bass — low music

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