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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. firm — steady
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pitch — completely
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. prune — to trim
  8. kid — to tease
  9. roll — a cake
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. kid — child
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. roll — a list
  16. vault — a safe
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. squash — to crush
  22. firm — decided
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. firm — a company

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