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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 120 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. swing — music
  4. bark — to shout
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bank — for money
  7. file — a document
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bank — for money
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bank — of a river
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bass — low music
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. file — a tool
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. swing — in golf

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