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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. land — a country
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. bass — the fish
  17. squash — to crush
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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