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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. pit — in a race
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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