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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rash — a series
  8. squash — to crush
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rule — government
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pop — music
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pop — soda
  21. rest — a break
  22. rule — a law
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. squash — the vegetable

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