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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 120 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. vault — a safe
  3. row — to paddle
  4. chest — a box
  5. race — a contest
  6. root — of a word
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rule — a law
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rule — government
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pitch — completely
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. row — a line
  20. root — the cause
  21. race — humankind
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. root — of a plant
  24. fork — to eat with

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