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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rock — music
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. race — humankind
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pit — a hole
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pound — a weight
  13. content — happy
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. race — a contest
  17. tube — a container
  18. content — the amount
  19. pit — in a race
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. content — videos and posts

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