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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · squash · craft · cap · toast · bass

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cap — a lid
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. vault — a safe
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cap — a hat
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bass — the fish
  13. toast — bread
  14. craft — boats
  15. cap — of ice
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument

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