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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. court — of law
  4. file — a document
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. firm — decided
  10. court — of a king
  11. present — a gift
  12. race — the arms race
  13. file — a line of people
  14. firm — steady
  15. file — a tool
  16. vault — a safe
  17. firm — a company
  18. race — humankind
  19. court — for sport
  20. present — there
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. present — the time now

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