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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 120 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: mark · rush · bass · row · game · arm · tube · vault

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mark — a trace
  6. vault — a safe
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. row — a line
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bass — low music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bass — the fish
  20. tube — the underground
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rush — hurry
  24. game — a match

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