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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: vault · chair · nail · clip · rock · race · deal · pitcher

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. race — a contest
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. chair — a leader
  10. clip — to cut
  11. rock — music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rock — a stone
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. race — humankind
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. vault — a safe
  20. race — the arms race
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. clip — for paper
  24. chair — a professorship

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