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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. race — a contest
  3. scale — in music
  4. bank — of a river
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cue — for pool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bank — for money
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. scale — size or range
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. race — the arms race
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. race — humankind
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bank — for money
  23. vault — a safe
  24. foot — part of the body

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