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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. race — a contest
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. game — wild animals
  5. plane — a tool
  6. race — humankind
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. race — the arms race
  11. stock — shares
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. ground — a position
  16. stock — goods
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. game — a match
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ground — the earth

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