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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · sharp · fine · bass · jam · suit · snap · capital

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. suit — in cards
  3. vault — a safe
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. capital — money
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. capital — a city
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. snap — to click
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bass — low music
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fine — high quality
  23. suit — to fit
  24. fine — all right

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