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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ball — a dance
  4. squash — to crush
  5. dip — to sink
  6. sharp — clever
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. suit — clothes
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cue — for pool
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. squash — the sport
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. cue — a hint
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. suit — in cards
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. cue — a signal

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