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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 116 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: bass · bore · game · track · club · lean · clip · vault

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lean — to bend
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — a video
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bass — low music
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. game — a match
  15. track — to keep track
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lean — thin
  18. clip — to cut
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. club — for golf
  22. bore — to tire
  23. club — a group
  24. bass — the instrument

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