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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. vault — a safe
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pitch — completely
  7. firm — a company
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. degree — an amount
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tear — from crying
  14. firm — steady
  15. track — to keep track
  16. tear — from crying
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — a song
  19. degree — from a university
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. degree — temperature
  22. track — a path
  23. firm — decided
  24. race — humankind

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