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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. firm — decided
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. board — a committee
  6. firm — steady
  7. vault — a safe
  8. board — to get on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. race — a contest
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wake — a trail
  20. content — the amount
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. saw — the tool

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