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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. swing — music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. board — to get on
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. vault — a safe
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. craft — boats
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. board — a committee
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. swing — to play on

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