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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. key — the most important part
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. saw — the tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. saw — the tool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bark — to shout
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. field — farmland
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. key — in music
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. kick — in football
  24. temple — side of the head

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