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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. rock — music
  3. bass — low music
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. march — the month
  9. rock — a stone
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. net — for catching
  12. bass — the fish
  13. march — music
  14. tube — the underground
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. tube — a container
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. scale — in music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. suit — clothes
  24. march — the month

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