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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mark — a trace
  4. race — humankind
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. season — in sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. race — a contest
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rest — a break
  14. capital — a city
  15. vault — a safe
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. race — the arms race
  18. season — of the year
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. fork — in a road

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