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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. chest — a box
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. ball — a great time
  5. squash — the sport
  6. file — a document
  7. craft — a skill
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ground — the earth
  11. file — a tool
  12. craft — boats
  13. ground — a position
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. chest — of your body
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ball — a dance
  19. squash — to crush
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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