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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. ball — a dance
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rest — a break
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rest — what's left
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. vault — a safe
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bass — low music
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rest — what's left
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. coach — a trainer

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