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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. scale — in music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. scale — size or range
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mug — a face
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bulb — for light
  20. vault — a safe
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mug — to rob

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