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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · court · arm · charge · lie · bulb · race · season

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. charge — a price
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — in sport
  5. charge — electricity
  6. race — a contest
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. court — for sport
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. court — of a king
  11. vault — a safe
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — in control
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bulb — for light
  23. race — humankind
  24. court — of law

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