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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. root — of a word
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bass — low music
  5. drill — the tool
  6. band — a music group
  7. can — a tin
  8. vault — a safe
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. band — a ring
  11. bass — the fish
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rush — hurry
  16. can — a tin
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. can — to be able to
  19. drill — army training
  20. root — the cause
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. rush — a thrill

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