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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · trunk · bass · swing · present · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. present — the time now
  5. bass — the fish
  6. vault — a safe
  7. swing — to play on
  8. present — a gift
  9. ball — a dance
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bass — low music
  16. present — there
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. ball — a great time

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