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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.

Make a worksheet

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: field · row · date · vault · mine · suit · straw · bass

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. suit — in cards
  5. row — a line
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. suit — to fit
  9. row — to paddle
  10. field — farmland
  11. suit — clothes
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. vault — a safe
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. field — for sport
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. field — a subject
  20. mine — for digging
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. date — on the calendar

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