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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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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: wound · ground · vault · race · mouse · patient · cap · pop

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. race — humankind
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ground — a position
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pop — music
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cap — a hat
  13. ground — the earth
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wound — an injury
  19. vault — a safe
  20. race — a contest
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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