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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. object — an aim
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. object — to protest
  10. stock — shares
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. object — a thing
  15. race — a contest
  16. stock — goods
  17. pitch — completely
  18. race — humankind
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. ball — a dance
  22. vault — a safe
  23. race — the arms race
  24. ball — a great time

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