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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. vault — a safe
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bear — the animal
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. club — for dancing
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. land — a country
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. land — ground
  13. club — for golf
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. squash — to crush
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. club — a group
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. bass — the fish
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bear — to put up with

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