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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. board — a committee
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bass — the fish
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. drill — army training
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. root — the cause
  15. rush — hurry
  16. root — of a word
  17. board — to get on
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. drill — the tool
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bowl — a dish

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