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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: can · band · hand · bass · capital · cabinet · saw · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hand — help
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. capital — a city
  15. bass — the fish
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. can — a tin
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bass — low music
  20. capital — money
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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