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

Word bank: bass · squash · pitch · swing · deal · vault · bat · rule

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. swing — in golf
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bat — the animal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. bass — low music
  14. squash — to crush
  15. deal — to handle
  16. squash — the sport
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rule — government
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rule — a law
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. pitch — a sports field

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