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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mark — a grade
  4. race — the arms race
  5. charge — a price
  6. field — for sport
  7. vault — a safe
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. field — a subject
  11. race — a contest
  12. charge — in control
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. field — farmland
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. mark — a trace
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pop — to visit
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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