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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. staff — employees
  3. perch — the fish
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bass — low music
  6. clip — a video
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fork — in a road
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. clip — to cut
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. band — a music group
  16. bass — the fish
  17. deal — to handle
  18. clip — for paper
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fork — to eat with

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