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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. ball — a great time
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ball — a dance
  5. field — farmland
  6. hand — in cards
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. field — for sport
  11. chair — a leader
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pit — in a race
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. hand — help
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. field — a subject
  22. pit — a hole
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pass — to spend time

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