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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. track — a song
  6. hand — help
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. vault — a safe
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. race — humankind
  13. track — a path
  14. bore — to drill
  15. hand — in cards
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bore — to tire
  18. land — ground
  19. foot — a measure
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. land — to come down
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. land — a country

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