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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. race — the arms race
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fine — all right
  12. vault — a safe
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. race — humankind
  15. pop — soda
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. race — a contest
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. game — a match
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. game — wild animals

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