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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.

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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 · chair · vault · race · bore · plane · scale · net

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. scale — in music
  3. net — after costs
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bore — to drill
  6. plane — a tool
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bass — the fish
  9. race — humankind
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. race — a contest
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. net — in sport
  16. scale — size or range
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bore — to tire
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. net — for catching

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