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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rule — government
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pop — to visit
  7. race — humankind
  8. firm — steady
  9. race — the arms race
  10. object — to protest
  11. firm — a company
  12. rule — a law
  13. ground — a position
  14. roll — a list
  15. pop — soda
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. firm — decided
  24. pop — music

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