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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. spring — the season
  3. vault — a safe
  4. race — humankind
  5. lean — to bend
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mate — a partner
  9. spring — of water
  10. lean — thin
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. court — of a king
  14. stock — goods
  15. court — for sport
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stock — shares
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. spring — a coil
  23. court — of law
  24. rest — what's left

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