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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. race — the arms race
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mark — a grade
  6. current — electric
  7. race — a contest
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. current — happening now
  11. race — humankind
  12. tear — from crying
  13. field — farmland
  14. current — of water
  15. mark — a trace
  16. snap — to click
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cue — a hint
  19. tear — to rip
  20. vault — a safe
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. field — a subject
  23. cue — a signal
  24. field — for sport

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