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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. vault — a safe
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. club — for dancing
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bass — low music
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. plane — a tool
  21. club — for golf
  22. bass — the fish
  23. club — a group
  24. ball — a dance

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