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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: bass · straw · squash · net · mate · jam · foot · vault

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bass — low music
  5. mate — to breed
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. net — for catching
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. squash — to crush
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mate — a partner
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. foot — a measure
  22. squash — the sport
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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