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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. squash — the sport
  3. vault — a safe
  4. present — a gift
  5. game — a match
  6. present — there
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. root — of a plant
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. present — the time now
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. current — happening now
  14. root — the cause
  15. current — of water
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wind — moving air
  18. current — electric
  19. game — wild animals
  20. root — of a word
  21. wind — moving air
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. squash — to crush
  24. game — a kind of play

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