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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: present · nail · clip · mug · vault · bass · ground · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bass — low music
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. clip — to cut
  5. ground — a position
  6. clip — a video
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. vault — a safe
  11. race — a contest
  12. present — there
  13. mug — to rob
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. present — a gift
  16. race — humankind
  17. bass — the fish
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. clip — for paper
  20. ground — crushed
  21. present — the time now
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. nail — on a finger

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