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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. root — the cause
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wound — an injury
  12. root — of a word
  13. bass — the fish
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bass — low music
  18. mark — a grade

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