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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bass — the fish
  7. band — a music group
  8. swing — music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bass — low music
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. net — for catching
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. band — a ring
  22. net — after costs
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. net — in sport

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