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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. court — of a king
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. chest — of your body
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. dip — to sink
  8. race — a contest
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. court — for sport
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. race — humankind
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pass — a permit
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. court — of law
  23. chest — a box
  24. race — the arms race

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