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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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. key — in music
  5. net — after costs
  6. pop — music
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pop — soda
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. net — for catching
  13. vault — a safe
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bass — low music
  17. ball — a dance
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. branch — a division
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. key — for a lock

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