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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: bass · kid · chip · bowl · cap · net · vault · jam

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bass — low music
  4. net — for catching
  5. chip — for betting
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. cap — a lid
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. kid — child
  11. cap — of ice
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. net — in sport
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bass — the fish

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