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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. charge — a price
  5. squash — the sport
  6. charge — electricity
  7. scale — in music
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. track — a song
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. scale — size or range
  16. vault — a safe
  17. charge — in control
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. track — to keep track
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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