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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 116 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wind — moving air
  5. capital — money
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wind — moving air
  8. drill — a practice
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. capital — a city
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pit — a hole
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pit — in a race
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. drill — army training
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. squash — the sport
  24. vault — a safe

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