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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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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: pass · race · land · vault · ball · object · root · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. land — to come down
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ball — a great time
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. object — an aim
  7. pass — a permit
  8. ball — a dance
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. land — a country
  11. vault — a safe
  12. object — a thing
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. race — the arms race
  15. land — ground
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. object — to protest
  20. race — humankind
  21. root — the cause
  22. race — a contest
  23. root — of a word
  24. ball — a round shape

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