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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. race — the arms race
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spring — of water
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bank — for money
  20. craft — a skill
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bank — for money
  23. degree — temperature
  24. craft — boats

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