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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. squash — the sport
  3. land — a country
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. dip — to sink
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. prune — to trim
  9. vault — a safe
  10. charge — in control
  11. land — to come down
  12. perch — the fish
  13. prune — to trim
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. squash — to crush
  17. charge — a price
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. lean — thin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lean — to bend
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. charge — electricity

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