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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.

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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. court — of a king
  6. ball — a great time
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. mate — a partner
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. mate — to breed
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. club — a group
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mate — a friend
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pound — a weight

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