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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 124 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. lean — to bend
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. snap — to click
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. vault — a safe
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. ground — a position

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