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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bass · game · fan · coach · ground · ball · stock

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. game — wild animals
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bass — low music
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. ball — a dance
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. game — a match
  17. stock — shares
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stock — goods
  21. vault — a safe
  22. ball — a great time
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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