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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: sharp · prune · vault · fine · cap · chair · toast · bass

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bass — the fish
  6. toast — bread
  7. cap — a hat
  8. sharp — clever
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cap — a lid
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. cap — of ice
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fine — all right
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bass — low music
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chair — a leader
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. fine — high quality
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bass — the instrument

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