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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. race — humankind
  3. ground — the earth
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. vault — a safe
  6. stock — shares
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pop — soda
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. scale — in music
  14. bat — the animal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pop — music
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stock — goods
  21. race — a contest
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. ground — a position
  24. lie — an untruth

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