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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 116 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. object — to protest
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. band — a music group
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bass — low music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bass — the fish
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. object — a thing
  17. fine — all right
  18. object — an aim
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. vault — a safe
  21. band — a ring
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fine — high quality

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