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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stock — goods
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bulb — for light
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. race — the arms race
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. degree — temperature
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stock — shares
  22. degree — an amount
  23. race — a contest
  24. leaves — to go away

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