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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. cell — in biology
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. wind — moving air
  14. club — for dancing
  15. cell — a phone
  16. club — a group
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pitch — completely
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. club — for golf
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mug — a cup

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