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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: race · vault · safe · wound · charge · bat · rule · bowl

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. race — the arms race
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. charge — in control
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. race — a contest
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bat — the animal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. rule — a law
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rule — government
  19. charge — electricity
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. race — humankind
  24. rule — to rule out

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