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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cue — for pool
  3. race — humankind
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ground — the earth
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. spell — magic
  9. bass — the fish
  10. spell — letters
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. squash — to crush
  13. cue — a hint
  14. vault — a safe
  15. spell — a short time
  16. race — the arms race
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bass — low music
  19. ground — a position
  20. race — a contest
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. cue — a signal

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