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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cue — a hint
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. race — a contest
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cue — a signal
  8. board — to get on
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cue — for pool
  11. vault — a safe
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. race — the arms race
  14. rest — a break
  15. board — a committee
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. game — wild animals
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. race — humankind
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. branch — a division
  23. rest — what's left
  24. game — a kind of play

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