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

Word bank: tear · ball · club · bay · branch · bowl · vault · race

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. race — humankind
  3. club — a group
  4. tear — from crying
  5. club — for golf
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. ball — a dance
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. tear — from crying
  11. race — the arms race
  12. vault — a safe
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. ball — a great time
  19. club — for dancing
  20. race — a contest
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. branch — a division

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