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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. ball — a dance
  4. vault — a safe
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. ball — a great time
  10. current — of water
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. current — happening now
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. current — electric
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pitcher — a jug

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