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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. firm — decided
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. firm — a company
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. cue — a hint
  10. prune — to trim
  11. race — humankind
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mine — for digging
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. race — the arms race
  17. prune — to trim
  18. race — a contest
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. kid — child
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. firm — steady

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