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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pop — music
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. season — of the year
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pop — to visit
  13. scale — in music
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. season — in sport
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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