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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pop — soda
  3. scale — size or range
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pop — to visit
  6. race — a contest
  7. rest — a break
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pop — music
  10. fine — high quality
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rest — what's left
  14. court — of a king
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. race — humankind
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. court — of law
  19. rest — what's left
  20. court — for sport
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. fine — all right
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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