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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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. squash — the sport
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bore — to tire
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. race — a contest
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. field — a subject
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. race — humankind
  19. bore — to drill
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. squash — to crush
  24. race — the arms race

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