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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 116 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — for sport
  3. rock — a stone
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. vault — a safe
  11. can — a tin
  12. rock — music
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. field — a subject
  16. can — a tin
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bowl — to roll

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