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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. race — a contest
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. race — the arms race
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. court — of a king
  8. club — a group
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. court — for sport
  11. vault — a safe
  12. land — ground
  13. race — humankind
  14. fine — all right
  15. rush — hurry
  16. club — for golf
  17. court — of law
  18. land — a country
  19. present — the time now
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. land — to come down
  23. club — for dancing
  24. present — there

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