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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bulb — for light
  4. vault — a safe
  5. march — the month
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bass — low music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. march — music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. march — the month
  13. cap — a hat
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. board — to get on
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. board — a committee
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pop — soda
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cap — a lid

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