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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. race — humankind
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stock — goods
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stock — shares
  8. kick — in football
  9. race — the arms race
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fall — the season
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. swing — to play on
  15. fall — to drop
  16. firm — steady
  17. press — a publisher
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fall — to drop
  20. race — a contest
  21. press — to push
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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