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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. net — in sport
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mark — a trace
  5. scale — in music
  6. bass — low music
  7. net — for catching
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. net — after costs
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. present — the time now
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. present — a gift
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mark — a grade
  20. scale — size or range
  21. present — there
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bass — the fish

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