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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 120 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 · ball · pitcher · wound · can · bass · swing · craft

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. swing — to play on
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. craft — a skill
  7. swing — music
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. craft — boats
  12. bass — low music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bass — the fish
  20. can — a tin
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wound — an injury
  23. vault — a safe
  24. ball — a great time

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