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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 124 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fall — the season
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. perch — the fish
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rock — music

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