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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. drill — army training
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. drill — the tool
  5. spell — magic
  6. bank — of a river
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. spell — letters
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bass — low music
  11. spell — a short time
  12. deal — to handle
  13. degree — temperature
  14. court — of law
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bass — the fish
  19. court — of a king
  20. bank — for money
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bank — for money
  23. court — for sport
  24. vault — a safe

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