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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. squash — to crush
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ball — a dance
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. hand — in cards
  9. deal — to handle
  10. vault — a safe
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pitch — completely
  16. ball — a great time
  17. hand — help
  18. mate — to breed
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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