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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pit — in a race
  5. land — to come down
  6. club — for dancing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. vault — a safe
  13. fine — high quality
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. race — humankind
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. race — the arms race
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pit — a hole
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. race — a contest

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