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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. net — in sport
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. march — music
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. net — for catching
  12. ball — a great time
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. last — finally
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. ball — a dance
  17. squash — the sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. march — the month
  20. vault — a safe
  21. march — the month
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mouse — for a computer

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