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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. tube — a container
  5. root — of a word
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. race — the arms race
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bore — to tire
  10. root — the cause
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. firm — a company
  16. race — a contest
  17. firm — decided
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. race — humankind
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. tube — the underground
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bore — to drill
  24. root — of a plant

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