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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. scale — in music
  3. squash — the sport
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. key — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. staff — employees
  14. key — for a lock
  15. lean — thin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. scale — size or range
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. staff — employees
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. lean — to bend

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