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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. track — a song
  4. pop — music
  5. pit — a hole
  6. vault — a safe
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pop — soda
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ground — a position
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. court — of a king
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pop — to visit
  16. squash — the sport
  17. track — a path
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ground — crushed
  20. plane — a tool
  21. court — of law
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. ground — the earth
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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