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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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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: perch · fall · bass · vault · race · patient · charge · racket

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bass — the fish
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. charge — electricity
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. charge — a price
  13. bass — low music
  14. race — humankind
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fall — the season
  18. race — a contest
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. perch — the fish
  21. fall — to drop
  22. charge — in control
  23. race — the arms race
  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