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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rock — music
  3. roll — a cake
  4. squash — the sport
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rock — a stone
  9. squash — to crush
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. roll — a list
  16. mate — a partner
  17. dip — to sink
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. ground — the earth
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mate — a friend

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