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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. field — a subject
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. spring — the season
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. field — for sport
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. field — farmland
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. spring — of water
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. jam — in traffic

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