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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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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: sharp · mark · bat · cue · pound · vault · race · spell

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. race — a contest
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. vault — a safe
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bat — the animal
  13. spell — letters
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. race — humankind
  19. cue — for pool
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. cue — a hint

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