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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. ground — a position
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. dip — to sink
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pit — in a race
  13. race — humankind
  14. bound — certain
  15. ground — crushed
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bound — obliged
  19. key — in music
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bound — tied together

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