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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.

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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. vault — a safe
  4. court — of a king
  5. kid — child
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. court — of law
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bass — low music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. kid — to tease
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. drill — a practice
  22. court — for sport
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chair — a leader

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