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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: mark · wake · squash · wind · perch · pit · vault · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mark — a grade
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. game — a match
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. vault — a safe
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pit — a hole
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wind — moving air
  20. squash — the sport
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mark — to pay attention

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