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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wound — an injury
  4. race — the arms race
  5. drill — army training
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. drill — a practice
  13. vault — a safe
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. dip — to sink
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. drill — the tool
  19. race — humankind
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pop — music
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pop — soda
  24. chip — to eat

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