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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 · content · vault · roll · bass · lean · snap · toast

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. vault — a safe
  9. toast — bread
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. content — the amount
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a city
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. content — happy
  21. snap — to click
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. roll — a cake

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