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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 · pass · object · jam · club · ball · vault · capital

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. object — an aim
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. capital — money
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. club — a group
  13. object — a thing
  14. pass — a permit
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. race — a contest
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ball — a great time
  19. vault — a safe
  20. object — to protest
  21. capital — a city
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. capital — a big letter

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