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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pop — music
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. vault — a safe
  6. game — wild animals
  7. tube — the underground
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pop — to visit
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stock — goods
  14. tube — a container
  15. sharp — clever
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pop — soda
  20. game — a match
  21. stock — shares
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mouse — the animal

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