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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. craft — a skill
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. court — of law
  5. band — a music group
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wound — an injury
  13. craft — boats
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. band — a ring
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bass — low music
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. band — a rubber band

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