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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. race — the arms race
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. race — a contest
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rock — music
  7. field — a subject
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. race — humankind
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. field — for sport
  22. pound — a weight
  23. field — farmland
  24. arm — part of the body

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