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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bass — the fish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bass — low music
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. vault — a safe
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. scale — in music
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stand — to bear
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. scale — for weighing

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