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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bass — low music
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. band — a ring
  10. spell — letters
  11. ball — a dance
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bear — the animal
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. charge — in control
  16. ball — a great time
  17. vault — a safe
  18. band — a music group
  19. charge — a price
  20. spell — magic
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. charge — electricity
  24. prune — to trim

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