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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 116 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. race — the arms race
  4. vault — a safe
  5. ball — a great time
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. race — a contest
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. ball — a dance
  11. race — humankind
  12. band — a music group
  13. degree — an amount
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cabinet — ministers

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