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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 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. vault — a safe
  4. current — electric
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. current — happening now
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. field — for sport
  16. current — of water
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bulb — for light
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — for light

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