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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. plane — a tool
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. game — wild animals
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. game — a match
  8. bass — low music
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — bread
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. mug — a cup
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mug — to rob
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mug — a face
  24. pitcher — a jug

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