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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. file — a document
  5. pop — to visit
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. file — a line of people
  10. root — the cause
  11. file — a tool
  12. pop — soda
  13. shower — rain
  14. race — humankind
  15. pop — music
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stock — goods
  20. pit — a hole
  21. root — of a word
  22. race — the arms race
  23. stock — shares
  24. vault — a safe

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