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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. game — a match
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lie — to recline
  9. game — wild animals
  10. scale — size or range
  11. vault — a safe
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pop — music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bass — low music

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