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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pop — music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pop — soda
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. board — to get on
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pop — to visit
  17. board — a committee
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. charge — a price
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wound — an injury
  24. charge — in control

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