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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. scale — size or range
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. swing — to play on
  9. net — in sport
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. swing — music
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bat — the animal
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. net — for catching
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. net — after costs

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