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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. field — for sport
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. field — a subject
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. spell — letters
  7. chip — to eat
  8. field — farmland
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. chip — for betting
  17. spell — magic
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pass — a permit
  24. spell — a short 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