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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. squash — the sport
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. suit — to fit
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. suit — in cards
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bass — low music
  16. capital — money
  17. suit — clothes
  18. board — a committee
  19. stem — to come from
  20. squash — to crush
  21. capital — a city
  22. board — to get on
  23. vault — a safe
  24. lean — thin

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