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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. game — a match
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. game — wild animals
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pitch — completely
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wax — to grow

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