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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. cell — a phone
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cue — for pool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cue — a hint
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bass — low music
  20. cue — a signal
  21. branch — a division
  22. cell — in biology
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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