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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. season — in sport
  3. ground — crushed
  4. content — happy
  5. suit — to fit
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ground — a position
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. suit — clothes
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. content — the amount
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. kick — in football
  18. ground — the earth
  19. suit — in cards
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. squash — to crush
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. vault — a safe
  24. season — of the year

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