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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. squash — to crush
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rule — a law
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rule — government
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bass — low music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. squash — the sport
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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