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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. club — for dancing
  4. roll — a list
  5. suit — clothes
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. file — a line of people
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. roll — a cake
  14. file — a document
  15. suit — to fit
  16. plane — a tool
  17. staff — a stick
  18. vault — a safe
  19. suit — in cards
  20. club — a group
  21. bass — the fish
  22. file — a tool
  23. club — for golf
  24. plane — in geometry

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