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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pitch — completely
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. object — an aim
  8. key — for a lock
  9. game — wild animals
  10. object — a thing
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. squash — the sport
  14. game — a match
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. drill — army training
  19. key — the most important part
  20. object — to protest
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. key — in music

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