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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: mark · mouse · ground · trunk · cap · vault · rest · race

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mark — a grade
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. race — the arms race
  6. cap — a hat
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rest — what's left
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. race — a contest
  14. rest — a break
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. race — humankind
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rest — what's left
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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