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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. race — a contest
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tube — a container
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fine — all right
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fine — high quality
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tube — the underground
  24. race — humankind

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