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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. squash — to crush
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stock — shares
  10. foot — a measure
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. stock — goods
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. date — the fruit
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. wax — to grow

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