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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. mark — a grade
  4. race — a contest
  5. key — for a lock
  6. spring — a coil
  7. roll — a cake
  8. race — the arms race
  9. roll — a list
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. race — humankind
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. key — in music
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. key — the most important part
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. vault — a safe
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. straw — dry grass

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