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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: bass · bark · vault · cue · hide · safe · ground · game

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ground — a position
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. game — a match
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. ground — the earth
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. vault — a safe
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bass — the fish
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bark — to shout
  23. ground — crushed
  24. game — a kind of play

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