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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. vault — a safe
  3. key — the most important part
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. court — for sport
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pop — soda
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pop — to visit
  14. key — in music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. court — of law
  17. pop — music
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. key — for a lock
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. court — of a king

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