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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · swing · pop · vault · cabinet · court · squash · rest

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pop — soda
  5. court — for sport
  6. squash — the sport
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. squash — to crush
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pop — to visit
  17. court — of a king
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rest — what's left
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. court — of law
  22. saw — the tool
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pop — music

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