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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: capital · dip · nail · vault · pit · bass · safe · chair

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bass — the fish
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. vault — a safe
  8. capital — money
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. capital — a city
  14. chair — a leader
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pit — in a race
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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