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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. swing — music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. swing — in golf
  8. vault — a safe
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. field — a subject
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cue — for pool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cue — a hint
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cue — a signal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. plane — a tool
  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