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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. squash — the sport
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. vault — a safe
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stand — to bear
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. charge — in control
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cold — not warm
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cold — an illness
  24. charge — a price

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