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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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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. race — a contest
  7. charge — a price
  8. file — a tool
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. race — the arms race
  11. fine — all right
  12. file — a line of people
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. charge — in control
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mine — for digging
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. race — humankind
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. file — a document

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