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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. club — a group
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. spring — the season
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rest — a break
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. vault — a safe
  11. chip — for betting
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rest — what's left
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. squash — the sport
  17. ball — a dance
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spring — of water
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. chip — to eat

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