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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. march — the month
  3. vault — a safe
  4. content — the amount
  5. squash — to crush
  6. court — of law
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. court — for sport
  10. track — a song
  11. pit — a hole
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. track — a path
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. court — of a king
  17. march — the month
  18. content — happy
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. march — music
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pit — in a race

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