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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ground — crushed
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. ground — a position
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bass — low music
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. swing — music
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. swing — to play on
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bass — the fish
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ground — the earth
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. vault — a safe
  24. hand — help

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