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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. prune — to trim
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. bass — low music
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fork — in a road
  9. net — for catching
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bass — the fish
  22. vault — a safe
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rush — to hurry

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