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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bass — low music
  9. capital — a city
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. root — of a word
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. root — of a plant
  16. can — to be able to
  17. root — the cause
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pass — a permit
  20. can — a tin
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. capital — money
  23. can — a tin
  24. capital — a big letter

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