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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. toast — bread
  6. vault — a safe
  7. net — after costs
  8. content — the amount
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. race — humankind
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. net — in sport
  15. content — happy
  16. chip — to eat
  17. branch — a division
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. chip — for betting
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. net — for catching
  22. race — a contest
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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