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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. spring — the season
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. vault — a safe
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pitch — completely
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hand — help
  11. saw — the tool
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bass — low music
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. spring — of water
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. spring — a coil
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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