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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. land — ground
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wax — to grow
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bass — the fish
  12. swing — to play on
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bass — low music

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