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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. race — the arms race
  3. charge — in control
  4. deal — to handle
  5. file — a tool
  6. spring — a coil
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. race — humankind
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. charge — a price
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cap — a hat
  14. race — a contest
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. spring — the season
  17. file — a document
  18. spring — of water
  19. charge — electricity
  20. file — a line of people
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cap — of ice

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