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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mark — a grade
  4. drill — the tool
  5. vault — a safe
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. staff — a stick
  8. cap — a hat
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cap — a lid
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. drill — army training
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mark — a trace
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. march — the month
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bass — low music
  24. staff — employees

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