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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ball — a great time
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. swing — music
  7. vault — a safe
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. object — to protest
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. swing — to play on
  12. object — a thing
  13. capital — a city
  14. object — an aim
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. squash — to crush
  17. deal — to handle
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. capital — money
  23. swing — in golf
  24. squash — the sport

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