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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. drill — the tool
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. net — after costs
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. drill — army training
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. drill — a practice
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bass — the fish
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. vault — a safe
  19. net — in sport
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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