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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ball — a dance
  5. vault — a safe
  6. key — for a lock
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cell — a phone
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. swing — music
  17. bass — low music
  18. cell — in biology
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. swing — to play on
  22. key — in music
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bass — the fish

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