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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. scale — in music
  4. race — humankind
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. scale — size or range
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. race — the arms race
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. can — to be able to
  12. game — wild animals
  13. band — a ring
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. game — a match
  16. can — a tin
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. chair — a leader
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. content — the amount
  21. can — a tin
  22. band — a music group
  23. content — happy
  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