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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stand — to bear
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. club — for dancing
  6. game — wild animals
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rash — hasty
  18. vault — a safe
  19. ball — a great time
  20. board — a committee
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stand — for spectators

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