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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. 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 fish
  2. fine — high quality
  3. squash — the sport
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. root — of a plant
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. squash — to crush
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. root — the cause
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. root — of a word
  17. fine — all right
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. vault — a safe
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. court — of a king
  24. 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