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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. last — finally
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bound — certain
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. bowl — to roll

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