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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: hide · perch · nail · deal · bat · game · vault · bass

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. game — wild animals
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. deal — to handle
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bat — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. game — a match
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. vault — a safe

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