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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rule — a law
  3. bound — obliged
  4. race — a contest
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. race — humankind
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. present — the time now
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bound — tied together
  13. present — there
  14. pit — in a race
  15. ground — a position
  16. rule — government
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bound — certain
  21. present — a gift
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. race — the arms race

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