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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. band — a ring
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. vault — a safe
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. band — a music group
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bowl — a dish

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