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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. race — humankind
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wind — moving air
  6. roll — a list
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. race — a contest
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pop — soda
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. firm — decided
  19. race — the arms race
  20. roll — a cake
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. wind — moving air
  24. date — the fruit

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