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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. staff — employees
  5. field — a subject
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mug — a face
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. mug — a cup
  12. field — for sport
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mug — to rob
  16. field — farmland
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. net — for catching
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mine — for digging
  23. game — a match
  24. staff — employees

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