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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mug — to rob
  3. race — humankind
  4. root — of a word
  5. club — for dancing
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. club — for golf
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. club — a group
  16. race — the arms race
  17. root — the cause
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mug — a face
  21. race — a contest
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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