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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. craft — boats
  4. charge — in control
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. chest — of your body
  10. toast — bread
  11. race — the arms race
  12. charge — electricity
  13. vault — a safe
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. race — a contest
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. race — humankind
  19. charge — a price
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. craft — a skill
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. field — for sport

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