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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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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. swing — music
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. firm — a company
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. vault — a safe
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. firm — decided
  11. chair — a leader
  12. ball — a great time
  13. swing — in golf
  14. hand — help
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. firm — steady
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. hand — in cards
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. swing — to play on
  23. snap — to click
  24. ball — a dance

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