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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. vault — a safe
  3. can — a tin
  4. court — for sport
  5. bass — the fish
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. band — a ring
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pop — soda
  13. band — a music group
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. court — of law
  18. bass — low music
  19. pop — music
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. court — of a king

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