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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pitch — completely
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pop — soda
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spring — the season
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spring — of water
  19. squash — to crush
  20. deal — to handle
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. spring — a coil

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