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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rock — music
  4. court — for sport
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rock — a stone
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. court — of a king
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. court — of law
  23. bass — the fish
  24. branch — a division

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