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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bore — to drill
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. vault — a safe
  10. race — humankind
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mug — a face
  14. pitch — completely
  15. court — for sport
  16. mug — a cup
  17. court — of law
  18. bore — to tire
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. court — of a king

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