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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: fan · bass · fine · arm · ruler · vault · capital · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. capital — a city
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. capital — money
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fine — all right
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bass — the fish
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. vault — a safe
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. ruler — for measuring

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