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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: pass · vault · bound · snap · craft · firm · pop · capital

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. firm — a company
  3. capital — a city
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pop — soda
  7. pass — a permit
  8. craft — a skill
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. firm — steady
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bound — obliged
  14. firm — decided
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bound — certain
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pop — to visit
  20. capital — money
  21. pop — music
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. vault — a safe
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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