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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rash — a series
  3. race — a contest
  4. court — of a king
  5. race — the arms race
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rash — hasty
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bass — low music
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. court — for sport
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. vault — a safe
  18. race — humankind
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. board — a committee
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. board — to get on
  23. court — of law
  24. nail — for a hammer

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