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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. board — to get on
  8. fall — the season
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. scale — size or range
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. content — happy
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. board — a committee
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fall — to drop
  19. content — the amount
  20. stock — goods
  21. wake — a trail
  22. fall — to drop
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stock — shares

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