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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. vault — a safe
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rule — a law
  6. present — there
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rule — government
  9. dip — to sink
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. present — the time now
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pop — music
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. present — a gift

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