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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. race — humankind
  4. object — to protest
  5. court — of law
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. present — there
  8. fine — all right
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. object — an aim
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. race — a contest
  16. court — of a king
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. present — a gift
  19. object — a thing
  20. present — the time now
  21. court — for sport
  22. vault — a safe
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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