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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rest — what's left
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. branch — a division
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. rest — what's left
  14. capital — money
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. capital — a city
  18. bass — low music
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rest — a break
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. racket — for tennis

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