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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 116 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. charge — in control
  3. march — music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. march — the month
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bass — low music
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. squash — to crush
  12. march — the month
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. charge — electricity
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stand — to bear
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. charge — a price
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. scale — size or range
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. scale — in 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