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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. degree — an amount
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. degree — temperature
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bass — low music
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. capital — a city
  17. can — a tin
  18. squash — the sport
  19. can — to be able to
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bass — the fish
  22. capital — money
  23. can — a tin
  24. bass — the instrument

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