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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. pop — soda
  10. club — for dancing
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. club — a group
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. net — for catching
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. club — for golf
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bass — low music
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pop — music

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