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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. scale — size or range
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. vault — a safe
  10. season — of the year
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. scale — in music
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rush — hurry
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bass — the fish
  24. season — in sport

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