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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wake — a trail
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pitch — completely
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. game — a match
  15. tube — a container
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. game — wild animals
  19. squash — the sport
  20. tube — the underground
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pitch — a sports field

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