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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. squash — the sport
  6. charge — electricity
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. degree — temperature
  9. court — of law
  10. charge — a price
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. court — for sport
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. court — of a king
  18. wind — moving air
  19. charge — in control
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. spring — of water
  22. squash — to crush
  23. stand — to bear
  24. spring — a coil

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