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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 120 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. kick — in football
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. swing — in golf
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rock — a stone
  8. last — final
  9. club — for golf
  10. track — a path
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. race — humankind
  14. swing — to play on
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. track — to keep track
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. vault — a safe
  20. track — a song
  21. rock — music
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. swing — music

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