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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. track — to keep track
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. object — an aim
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. vault — a safe
  8. root — of a plant
  9. track — a path
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rest — what's left
  12. field — farmland
  13. bass — the fish
  14. root — the cause
  15. bass — low music
  16. field — for sport
  17. object — a thing
  18. root — of a word
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. track — a song
  23. field — a subject
  24. object — to protest

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