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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: bass · pop · roll · net · capital · chip · safe · jam

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. net — for catching
  7. pop — to visit
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. chip — to eat
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. capital — a city
  14. bass — low music
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. roll — a list
  18. pop — music
  19. roll — a cake
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bass — the fish
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pop — soda
  24. jam — in traffic

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