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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. vault — a safe
  3. tear — to rip
  4. current — of water
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cue — a hint
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. current — electric
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. squash — to crush
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bass — low music
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. current — happening now

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