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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. game — a match
  5. bank — for money
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. tube — a container
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bass — the fish
  12. game — wild animals
  13. vault — a safe
  14. content — the amount
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. content — happy
  20. bank — for money
  21. tube — the underground
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bass — low music
  24. calf — a young animal

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