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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bass — low music
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rash — a series
  7. rock — music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. net — for catching

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