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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rash — hasty
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rash — a series
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. ball — a dance
  24. fork — to eat with

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