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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. race — a contest
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. field — farmland
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. field — for sport
  9. race — the arms race
  10. scale — size or range
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rush — hurry
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. field — a subject
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. race — humankind
  24. stand — for spectators

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