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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. root — the cause
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rush — hurry
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bass — the fish
  16. swing — in golf
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. root — of a word
  20. bass — low music
  21. track — to keep track
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. root — of a plant

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