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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. present — a gift
  3. can — a tin
  4. rest — what's left
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. present — the time now
  8. clip — for paper
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rest — a break
  13. vault — a safe
  14. band — a music group
  15. clip — to cut
  16. can — a tin
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pit — in a race
  19. band — a ring
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. can — to be able to
  22. clip — a video
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. present — there

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