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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. club — a group
  4. charge — electricity
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. race — a contest
  7. charge — a price
  8. vault — a safe
  9. race — the arms race
  10. mug — a face
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cap — a lid
  14. club — for dancing
  15. race — humankind
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mug — a cup
  19. club — for golf
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. charge — in control
  24. cap — of ice

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