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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. race — a contest
  4. stock — shares
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rash — a series
  12. stock — goods
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. vault — a safe
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fine — all right
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. dip — to sink

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