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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. tube — the underground
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. tube — a container
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. vault — a safe
  15. toast — bread
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. dip — to sink
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. toast — the most admired

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