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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bank — for money
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. race — humankind
  13. court — for sport
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. race — a contest
  16. bank — for money
  17. court — of a king
  18. vault — a safe
  19. court — of law
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bark — of a tree

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