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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: drill · pitcher · lean · key · vault · race · cell · season

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — in music
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. lean — thin
  11. drill — army training
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. race — a contest
  15. season — in sport
  16. vault — a safe
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cell — in biology
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cell — a phone
  23. season — of the year
  24. lean — to rest against

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