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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 116 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: charge · stand · vault · sharp · squash · bass · band · net

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bass — the fish
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bass — low music
  6. squash — the sport
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. stand — to bear
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. band — a music group
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. band — a ring
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. squash — to crush
  19. net — after costs
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. charge — in control
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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