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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. race — a contest
  7. vault — a safe
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. degree — temperature
  11. rest — what's left
  12. roll — a cake
  13. degree — from a university
  14. chair — a leader
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. roll — a list
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. degree — an amount
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. sharp — clever

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