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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · season · bat · ball · vault · object · cue · race

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. object — to protest
  3. race — humankind
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. cue — for pool
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cue — a signal
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. season — of the year
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. race — a contest
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cue — a hint
  18. race — the arms race
  19. can — a tin
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. can — a tin
  22. ball — a great time
  23. season — in sport
  24. bat — the animal

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