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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. land — ground
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. club — for golf
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. land — to come down
  10. current — of water
  11. game — wild animals
  12. current — happening now
  13. land — a country
  14. race — a contest
  15. last — finally
  16. vault — a safe
  17. race — the arms race
  18. club — for dancing
  19. stand — to bear
  20. last — to go on
  21. club — a group
  22. race — humankind
  23. last — final
  24. current — electric

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