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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
468
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: stem · vault · jam · tube · bass · pass · fan · squash

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. vault — a safe
  4. tube — the underground
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stem — to come from
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. tube — a container
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. squash — the sport
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. squash — to crush
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stem — of a plant

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