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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. field — a subject
  3. bound — tied together
  4. race — the arms race
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. chip — for betting
  7. race — a contest
  8. bound — obliged
  9. net — in sport
  10. bound — certain
  11. vault — a safe
  12. field — for sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. race — humankind
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. net — for catching
  19. field — farmland
  20. chip — to eat
  21. object — an aim
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — a tool

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