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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 120 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: object · bass · land · squash · vault · ball · scale · court

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. bass — low music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. squash — the sport
  4. court — of law
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bass — the fish
  8. object — to protest
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. scale — in music
  12. court — of a king
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. court — for sport
  18. ball — a great time
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. land — ground
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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