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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bank — for money
  4. pop — soda
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bat — the animal
  8. race — a contest
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. race — the arms race
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bank — for money
  23. race — humankind
  24. pop — music

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