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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. current — of water
  5. pitch — completely
  6. current — electric
  7. capital — money
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. band — a ring
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. race — humankind
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. capital — a city
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. band — a music group
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. current — happening now
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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