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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. staff — a stick
  4. race — humankind
  5. staff — employees
  6. season — in sport
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pop — to visit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pop — music
  11. bass — low music
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. race — the arms race
  16. season — of the year
  17. bass — the fish
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pop — soda
  20. race — a contest
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. staff — employees
  24. vault — a safe

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