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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rest — a break
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rest — what's left
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. field — for sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. race — the arms race
  11. rest — what's left
  12. net — for catching
  13. race — humankind
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. race — a contest
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. net — in sport
  20. rash — a series
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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