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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 120 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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. swing — in golf
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rule — a law
  5. swing — music
  6. rule — government
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. firm — decided
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lean — to bend
  14. firm — steady
  15. swing — to play on
  16. squash — to crush
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. firm — a company
  19. track — to keep track
  20. vault — a safe
  21. track — a song
  22. perch — the fish
  23. track — a path
  24. rule — to rule out

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