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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 · pop · stand · foot · kid · mine · key · vault

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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 — low music
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pop — soda
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. key — in music
  7. pop — music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. kid — child
  12. mine — for digging
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. foot — a measure
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pop — to visit
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. kid — to tease
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bass — the fish
  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