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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rock — music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stock — goods
  10. key — in music
  11. rush — hurry
  12. key — for a lock
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stock — shares
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pitch — completely

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