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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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. march — the month
  4. net — for catching
  5. march — the month
  6. game — wild animals
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. net — in sport
  9. game — a match
  10. net — after costs
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. track — to keep track
  13. vault — a safe
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. track — a path
  17. saw — the tool
  18. squash — the sport
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. track — a song
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. saw — the tool
  24. march — music

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