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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: ball · race · snap · stick · march · arm · key · vault

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. race — humankind
  4. march — the month
  5. key — in music
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ball — a dance
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. race — a contest
  13. march — music
  14. snap — to click
  15. ball — a great time
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. key — for a lock
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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