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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. tube — a container
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. roll — a list
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. tube — the underground
  9. vault — a safe
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pop — music
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pop — soda
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pop — to visit
  20. roll — a cake
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. squash — the sport
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. ruler — a monarch

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