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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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. key — in music
  3. bass — low music
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. snap — to click
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rest — what's left
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pop — music
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rest — a break
  15. key — for a lock
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rest — what's left
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. plane — a tool
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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