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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bass — low music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. vault — a safe
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bat — the animal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. can — a tin
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. can — a tin
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bass — the instrument

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