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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. date — the fruit
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bark — to shout
  10. last — finally
  11. toast — bread
  12. last — to go on
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — in cards
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. last — final
  22. suit — to fit
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. vault — a safe

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