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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. root — the cause
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. branch — a division
  8. season — of the year
  9. wake — a trail
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. root — of a word
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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