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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. firm — steady
  4. scale — in music
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. scale — size or range
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. firm — a company
  16. chair — a leader
  17. firm — decided
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. squash — the sport
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pitch — completely
  24. perch — the fish

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