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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 120 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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. vault — a safe
  8. court — of law
  9. bass — low music
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. saw — the tool
  14. march — the month
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. court — of a king
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. content — happy
  19. court — for sport
  20. march — the month
  21. content — the amount
  22. bass — the fish
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. saw — 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