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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. charge — a price
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. charge — in control
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. craft — a skill
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. race — humankind
  10. current — happening now
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. charge — electricity
  13. vault — a safe
  14. current — of water
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. current — electric
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. race — a contest
  22. bat — the animal
  23. craft — boats
  24. bat — in an idiom

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