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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. mug — a cup
  4. race — humankind
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. kid — child
  7. rush — hurry
  8. kid — to tease
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mug — to rob
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. squash — the sport
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. mug — a face
  22. key — for a lock
  23. squash — to crush
  24. race — the arms race

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