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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. firm — a company
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bass — low music
  11. fine — all right
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. pound — a weight
  15. content — happy
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. firm — steady
  18. bass — the fish
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. vault — a safe
  22. date — the fruit
  23. content — the amount
  24. firm — decided

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