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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. object — a thing
  2. roll — a cake
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cue — a hint
  5. race — a contest
  6. object — to protest
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. object — an aim
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. vault — a safe
  12. roll — a list
  13. court — of a king
  14. cue — a signal
  15. court — for sport
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. race — humankind
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cue — for pool
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. court — of law
  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