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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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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: stick · bat · fall · bowl · bay · bass · vault · ground

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ground — a position
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. ground — the earth
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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