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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. present — a gift
  3. squash — to crush
  4. present — there
  5. tube — the underground
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. charge — electricity
  11. vault — a safe
  12. charge — in control
  13. court — of law
  14. present — the time now
  15. court — for sport
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. charge — a price
  18. court — of a king
  19. tube — a container
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. squash — the sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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