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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cue — a signal
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. spell — letters
  10. charge — electricity
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. charge — in control
  14. key — in music
  15. plane — a tool
  16. spell — magic
  17. charge — a price
  18. file — a tool
  19. spell — a short time
  20. cue — a hint
  21. file — a line of people
  22. key — for a lock
  23. file — a document
  24. key — the most important part

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