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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. race — a contest
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. ball — a great time
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. game — wild animals
  11. degree — an amount
  12. content — happy
  13. degree — temperature
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. degree — from a university
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. content — the amount
  19. vault — a safe
  20. race — humankind
  21. foot — a measure
  22. race — the arms race
  23. game — a match
  24. ball — a dance

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