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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stem · saw · chair · bass · vault · present · firm · can

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. firm — steady
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. firm — decided
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bass — low music
  11. vault — a safe
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. firm — a company
  17. can — to be able to
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. present — there
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bass — the fish
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. present — the time now
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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