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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. craft — a skill
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. scale — in music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. craft — boats
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ball — a great time
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bass — the fish
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bass — low music
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. ball — a dance
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. tube — the underground

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