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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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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: vault · swing · spell · bass · court · bay · bat · staff

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bat — the animal
  3. court — of a king
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. swing — to play on
  7. staff — a stick
  8. swing — in golf
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bass — low music
  13. spell — magic
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. court — for sport
  16. spell — a short time
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. swing — music
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. court — of law
  22. spell — letters
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bass — the fish

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