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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pit — in a race
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fine — all right
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bound — certain
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. vault — a safe
  24. fine — high quality

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