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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cap — a hat
  3. vault — a safe
  4. club — a group
  5. cue — a hint
  6. club — for dancing
  7. race — humankind
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. scale — in music
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. race — a contest
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cue — for pool
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cue — a signal
  18. club — for golf

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