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

Word bank: game · pass · vault · date · wake · race · charge · pound

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. race — a contest
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pound — a weight
  10. race — the arms race
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. game — a match
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. race — humankind
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. charge — a price
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. date — the fruit
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. charge — in control

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