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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bass — low music
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. march — music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mate — a friend
  11. march — the month
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. sharp — clever
  15. cue — a signal
  16. can — to be able to
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. cue — for pool
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. can — a tin
  21. march — the month
  22. cue — a hint
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. can — a tin

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