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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. drill — a practice
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. can — to be able to
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. drill — army training
  15. bass — the fish
  16. can — a tin
  17. craft — a skill
  18. can — a tin
  19. bass — low music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. drill — the tool

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