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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. squash — to crush
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. ball — a dance
  5. squash — the sport
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. land — ground
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. toast — bread
  10. chip — to eat
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. deal — to handle
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. land — a country
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. chip — for betting
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. land — to come down
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. vault — a safe
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. ball — a great time
  24. deal — an agreement

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