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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. ground — a position
  3. band — a music group
  4. vault — a safe
  5. cue — a hint
  6. band — a ring
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bass — the fish
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. ground — crushed
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. field — a subject
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bass — low music
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. ground — the earth
  24. field — for sport

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