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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 116 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. key — for a lock
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. vault — a safe
  6. scale — in music
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. key — in music
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. key — the most important part
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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