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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. court — of a king
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. race — the arms race
  6. chair — a leader
  7. board — to get on
  8. race — humankind
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. court — of law
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. suit — to fit
  15. race — a contest
  16. stem — to come from
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. suit — clothes
  19. court — for sport
  20. vault — a safe
  21. suit — in cards
  22. shower — rain
  23. board — a committee
  24. stem — of a plant

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