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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rash — a series
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. field — for sport
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. vault — a safe
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rash — hasty
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rash — on the skin

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