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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: date · vault · land · bass · pass · calf · rest · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. land — a country
  3. bass — low music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rest — a break
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rest — what's left
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. land — to come down
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. ball — a dance
  24. land — ground

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