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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. squash — to crush
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — a law
  10. chip — to eat
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. pitch — completely
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. squash — the sport
  20. field — for sport
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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