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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spring — of water
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. race — the arms race
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. race — a contest
  9. spring — a coil
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. kid — child
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. race — humankind
  17. vault — a safe
  18. kid — to tease
  19. spring — the season
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. branch — a division

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