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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. race — a contest
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. race — humankind
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. toast — bread
  24. roll — a list

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