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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chair · bass · board · lie · ground · can · vault · prune

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. ground — the earth
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. vault — a safe
  9. can — a tin
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chair — a leader
  15. board — to get on
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. can — to be able to
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. can — a tin
  21. board — a committee
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bass — low music

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