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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.

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: present · row · board · bass · court · vault · dip · roll

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. roll — a list
  6. court — of a king
  7. present — a gift
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. court — of law
  10. vault — a safe
  11. row — to paddle
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. present — the time now
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. court — for sport
  19. row — a line
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. present — there
  22. roll — a cake
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. dip — to sink

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